You Again?
by The Renowned Obscurity
Summary: A story of romance, adventure, arguements, reunions, jealousy, and loads of other things. Join Ash&co. as they journey across Hoenn and experience all the stuff listed above! Contestshipping, Pokeshipping, and others. ON LONG, PROBABLY NEVERENDING HIATUS.
1. Prologue: The Kiss

Ok well this is the second time I'm going to write the rant about this story cuz my stupid computer wouldn't save it. Well anyway it's now time for lots of author notes…

**I originally wrote this a while ago and put it on but removed it because it sucked. And even though I edited it and stuff, it still does. But it is a bit better.**

**Unfortunately, there is some OOCness in the story, coming from Drew mostly. A lot of the characters act weird when we get more into the story and stuff. But I think the weirdness of the characters add humor into the story. Also, some of the characters are characters that have only appeared in one or two episodes (or movie), so it was a bit difficult writing them and doing it well. In the end, I don't think I succeeded.**

**This story has lots of stuff in it like ROMANCE mostly, as well as Pokemon Contests, adventure, happy reunions and people being jealous, and drama that happens to be somewhat corny. So I hope this fic has something for everyone!**

**On one final note, I would like to say that I wrote this story almost right after seeing that one episode where May wins the Fallarbor Town Contest. That's how long ago I wrote this. But anyway, that's why the prologue that you are about to read is based off of the end of that episode. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you should after reading it. Unless you haven't seen the episode.**

**Well whatever. I can finally say, "On with the fic!"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Isn't it obvious from my rantings?**

Prologue: The Kiss

May had just won her first Pokemon Contest, the Fallarbor Town Contest, when her rival Drew approached her. He tossed May a rose, as usual, and she caught it.

"Lemme guess," May said. "This rose is for Beautifly, right?" Drew turned his back on her and began to walk away.

"Yeah, something like that," he replied. Drew waved without turning to face her.

"Man," Max said from behind May, "that guy is as stuck-up as ever!" He, as well as Ash and Brock, had been watching the whole conversation. Then, the three of them started to walk in the opposite direction of Drew. May lingered and stared at the rose for a moment, then ran after Drew.

"Wait up!" she called to him. Drew paused and turned on his heel.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Ummm," May started nervously. "I guess I just wanted to thank you for all the roses…"

Drew surprisingly, said nothing. Truthfully, he was tempted to tell her that they were only for Beautifly, to ease the awkwardness that had settled on the situation. Instead, he held his tongue. After all, if he had said that, he would be lying.

May stared at him, waiting for a response she would never get. She suddenly had an urge to place her lips on his. Or at least on his cheek.

And so that's exactly what she did. With a slight blush on her face, she quickly pecked him on the cheek and ran off. Drew didn't have time to say anything or even react properly.

Instead, he just raised his hand to touch the spot on his cheek where May had just kissed him. To Drew's surprise, he felt himself blush, which was definitely something he normally didn't do.

Drew then smiled and walked in the direction May had headed, the sun setting behind him. He did not know what compelled him to walk this way; he was just going wherever he feet led him. And even though he did not win the Contest, Drew felt happy.

**Hooray I am now done with the first thingy! I'm not gonna call it a chapter cuz it's not a chapter…. It's a prologue. Can this even be called a prologue? Do I even know what a prologue is? Oh and do not fear for the chapter will be longer than this! Review if you wish but pwease be nice!**


	2. The Searching Stalker and Going Ahead

**A/N: I wasn't sure how I should go about this chapter, like whether or not it should be a little short thing or combine it with a part of the next chapter. I decided to choose the second option, so there is a small time jump in the middle of this chapter. It's written in May's POV. So I hope you enjoy!**

**By the way, this chapter is for the Osaka who knew, my first (and currently only) reviewer! Plus her birthday is this Friday! I'm glad you like it and happy birthday!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, I would not be writing fanfiction about it…**

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The Searching Stalker and Going Ahead

May caught up with Ash, Brock, and Max who were all waiting for her up ahead.

"Where did you go, May?" asked Ash. "We were walking and we didn't realize you had disappeared."

"Yeah, did you go off to talk to Drew?" Max said teasingly. May shot him a death-glare.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I just wanted to thank him."

"I'm _so _sure," Max replied. May was about to pounce on her little brother when Brock stopped her.

"These no need to argue guys. We should start to head out while there is still some light in the sky," he said.

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "The sooner we can get going, the sooner I can get my next badge!" May and Max nodded and the five of them began their journey to Lavaridge Town.

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Drew for some reason, had kept on following May. He wanted to see her. He had never felt this way before. Apparently, the kiss had done something to his head. Drew was in a trance, never thinking that he was being a potential stalker. He was honestly too happy to care.

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"It's getting pretty dark now," Max observed. The sun had been setting very slowly, seeing that they had been walking through a forest for almost an hour.

"We should rest here," Brock said.

"I see a clearing up ahead!" May exclaimed. Ash ran up ahead and pushed his way through some bushes.

"You were right May," he said. Ash, Brock, May, and Max all pulled out their sleeping bags and laid them out. Brock started a fire while Ash and Max went to go look for some Berries.

May was still at her sleeping bag, pulling something out of her bag. May set the rose Drew had given her next to her pillow and went off to find Ash and Max.

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Meanwhile, Drew was working his way through the thick forest where he had seen May and her friends disappear into earlier. It was growing darker by the moment and Drew was having difficulty seeing. Then he heard voices.

"We should probably head back to camp now," he heard Max say.

"But we didn't find anything to eat," complained Ash.

"Don't worry, Brock's probably cooked up something good by now."

"May," Drew whispered when he watched her, as well as Ash and Max, go back to camp. He sank down into some nearby bushes. He heard them talking and eating. Suddenly, his stomach grumbled, snapping him out of his trance.

'What am I doing here?' Drew thought, confused. He looked over and saw May eating with her friends. He muttered something to himself realizing that he had been stalking May.

Drew crept through the bushes, away from them, grabbing a Pecha Berry to eat along the way. He shook his head to get rid of all his lingering thoughts of May. He decided to forget about her for the moment. Besides, he had Contest training to do.

Back at camp, the foursome had finished the delicious meal Brock had made and settled into their sleeping bags. They all wished each other a good night before nodding off.

May took one last look at the rose lying next to her before falling into a peaceful sleep…

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A while had passed since the day that I had won my first Pokemon Contest. Ash had obtained 3 Badges: the Heat Badge from Lavaridge, the Balance Badge from Petalburg, and finally the Feather Badge from Fortree.

Max and I finally got to see our parents again when we stopped in Petalburg for Ash's battle. I didn't tell my mom that I might like a guy (I think) and everything went kind of ok.

Max got really upset after Dad lost to Ash, but he quickly got over it with some persuasion. I did notice that Kenny, a student of Dad's and a good cleaning boy, seemed to become attached to me. He always followed me around, asking if I needed anything. I feared that Brock had been giving him love lessons. When we were leaving for the next town though, Kenny did look sort of sad. I told him how great it was to meet him and how I couldn't wait to see him again. It seemed to brighten up a bit after that.

As of now we are about a half a mile away from Lilycove City, the site of my next Pokemon Contest. I am really excited and hoping to see some familiar faces.

I met another boy at my last Pokemon Contest, which I managed to win. His name was Timmy and he participated in Contests under the identity of "The Phantom". I did think he was kind of cute, plus he was really nice. He also was a very good co-coordinator. He was even able to defeat Drew, making him unable to compete in the Contest.

Drew told me that he was surprised I won, in a snobby way. I wouldn't be surprised if he was jealous. I was disappointed though because Drew didn't have a rose for me that time. Did the kiss scare him off? I really hoped not. Even though I fought with him a lot, I really did like Drew…

It wasn't long before we arrived in Lilycove. It was a very large city with an art museum, department store, and of course, the largest Contest Hall I had ever seen. Ash acted upset that there was no Gym, but he was still eager to see how I performed in the Contest. Brock was happy with all the pretty girls, so he spent a lot of time flirting. I didn't know if Max would have the time to go visit the Art Museum the way Brock was going at it.

First though, we went to the Contest Hall and I registered for the Contest. And I wasn't surprised at who I saw there, looking smug in the corner.

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**Well I decided to end the chapter there, because I wanted to save all the happy reunions and stuff for the next chapter. This was the chapter that I was worried if Drew would be a bit OOC. I'm sorry if he is… **

**And is this story moving to fast? Because it's only the first chapter really and there's already been this time jump. It's just most of the stuff I deleted from this story was in the beginning so before the time jump didn't seem so sudden**.

**And Kenny is the name of that one guy at the Petalburg Gym, right? Well anyway, the next chapter will be up sometime Friday (I hope). Feel free to review!**


	3. The Reunions

I really don't like this chapter (for some reason) and I couldn't bring myself to type it up. But I did. My dislike of this chapter caused the updating delay…(and the fact that I was lazy and busy.)

Disclaimer- I don't own Pokemon…

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The Reunion(s)

Drew approached May when he saw her in the Contest Hall.

"Hello May," he said to her. "Looks like you've decided to come and lose yet another Contest."

"That's not gonna happen Drew!" May yelled at him. "And for your information, I've only lost one Contest so far!" Drew just flipped his hairand walked away, but not before handing May a rose.

She looked at it for a moment and then went to search for Ash, Brock, and Max. But before she could go anywhere, someone called out her name. She turned around to see Timmy standing there, waving.

"Hey May!" he said when she came up to him. "Long time, no see!"

"It's good to see you again, Timmy!" May replied. "Have you been participating in many Contests?"

"Yeah, actually I have! I've earned 3 ribbons so far! And when I win this Contest, I'll be one step away from the Grand Festival!" May was admired Timmy's confidence.

"Well I like to see you get past me in the Contest!" she said.

"I accept your challenge, May!" Timmy replied, shaking May's hand. "Well I better get training if I'm going to win this Contest!" With that, he walked off.

May decided she wanted to look around Lilycove first, and then train. She saw Ash, Brock, and Max waiting for her nearby.

"So guys are you ready to look around Lilycove?" she asked them.

"I need to stop at the department store to stock up on supplies," Brock stated.

"I still really wanna go to the Art Museum though!" Max complained. Ash shrugged, as he didn't care what they did.

"How about this," May said. "Brock, you and Ash can go to the department store and Max, you can go to the Museum as long as you're back here in an hour."

Max cheered as Ash and Brock nodded. Brock began to walk out of the Contest Hall with Ash following him. Max left soon after. May wasn't sure exactly where she wanted to go in Lilycove, so she decided to look around to find a private training spot.

As she walked out of the Contest Hall, a boy accidentally bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry," he muttered.

"No problem," May said, and started to walk out. But before she did, she took a quick look at the guy. She groaned when she saw the huge grin plastered on his face.

'Not you again…'

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Max walked up the many steps leading to the Art Museum. At the top, he could see two statues of ancient Pokemon. Getting excited, Max began to run, taking the stairs two at a time. He didn't watch where he was going, being so focused on reaching the top.

Max ran into a girl that looked a bit older than him, who was looking at the statues.

"Oh I'm really sorry," Max said. "I got so excited, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"That's ok," she replied. Max looked at the girl, and then realized who it was.

"Vivi!" he exclaimed. The youngest Winstrate smiled.

"Hi Max!" she said, cheerfully. Then she pulled him into a big hug.

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Vivi and Max spent their time in the Art Museum together, catching up on old times. Vivi explained to Max how she left her family in the desert looking for adventure. She was also hoping to see Max somewhere.

"I missed your cuteness," she had told him. She also said how she decided to become a Pokemon Coordinator.

Max told Vivi everything that had happened on his journey as well. After they had talked for a while and browsed the Museum, Max saw it was time for him to head back to the Contest Hall. Vivi came with him, seeing that she was entering the Contest just like May.

On the way back, Max and Vivi saw Ash and Brock coming out of the department store, carrying bags of supplies.

"Hey Max!" Ash called as he saw him. Then he realized that there was someone with him. "You're Vivi Winstrate, aren't you?"

"That's me!" she replied winking.

"It's good seeing you again, Vivi," Brock said to her.

"Yeah, it's good seeing both of you again."

After reuniting, they walked back to the Lilycove Contest Hall.

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"May!" the boy practically shouted. "I can't believe you're here! It's so awesome to see you!"

"Yeah it's nice to see you too Sid," May lied. (A/N: Remember Sid, that one guy from the Destiny Deoxys movie who was obsessed with May? Well that's this guy.)

"So what are you doing here May?"

"I should be asking that same thing too you," May replied. "But I'm here because of the Pokemon Contest."

"Well I'm not exactly sure why I'm here," Sid said. "But I decided to travel more around Hoenn just cuz I knew you were there!"

'Oh great,' May thought. 'Now I have a stalker.'

Just then, Ash, Brock, Max, and Vivi walked in. May was so relieved so she ran over to them.

"Hey guys," she said, not noticing Vivi at first. She was surprised when she did see her. "Oh your Max's little girlfriend, Vivi!" Both Max and Vivi blushed at this.

Sid then walked over and joined into the conversation. After everyone was introduced and reacquainted, May finally got a chance to get some Contest training done.

She saw Drew and Timmy nearby, showing off their Contest appeals. May was amused at how they tried to outdo each other. She smiled as her Pokemon practiced their own moves.

'This sure has been an eventful afternoon,' she thought.

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Stupid chapter ending, I know. I just decided to stop it there because I can. Next chapter is full of random arguments and fluffy Winstrateshipping stuffs.

Express your dislike (or like) of this chapter with a review! Hooray!


	4. The Arguments

**I'm in such an unromantic mood at the moment but I still managed to type up this chapter. It's Winstrateshipping mostly. By the way, sorry for the delay.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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The Arguments

Meanwhile in the Contest Hall, Vivi and Max were conversing with other Coordinators. Ash and Brock had disappeared outside to train while May was still outside watching Timmy and Drew. Their little display of contest moves had turned into a heated battle.

"Use Will-O-Wisp, Dusclops!" Timmy commanded.

"Stop his attack with Bubble!" Drew shouted to his Masquerain. The bubbles stopped the blue flames in their tracks.

"Now use Ice Beam Masquerain!" Masquerain fired the beam of ice at Dusclops, who countered with a Shadow Ball. There was an explosion as the two Pokemon flew back.

Both Timmy and Drew kneeled down to help their injured Pokemon. Timmy glared at Drew.

"Nice going, now I might not be able to compete in the Contest," he said.

"Well I wasn't about to back down to a challenge," Drew replied. "And there's always the Pokemon Center." With that, Drew withdrew his Masquerain and headed to heal his Pokemon. May was about to go help out Timmy but he walked away before she had the chance.

May recalled her own Pokemon, seeing that she felt prepared for the Contest. Then, Sid suddenly appeared behind her.

"Hey, May! I saw you training and your Pokemon look like they're in pretty good shape," he commented.

"Thanks," May replied. "But I was really focused on the match between Drew and Timmy. They are both really good coordinators and Trainers as well." Sid was a bit jealous that May thought so highly of them.

"Well I bet I could beat both of them any day!" he said triumphantly.

"Sure…" May said sarcastically. She knew he probably didn't have a chance. But she did have to admit that his battling skills weren't that bad.

"Don't you think we should get back to the Contest Hall?" Sid suggested. "It's getting late." May nodded, and began to walk with him.

"I'll be cheering for you in during the Contest, ok May?"

May sighed. She hoped he didn't embarrass her too much.

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Max and Vivi were both still in the Contest Hall, talking. Max then spotted a Coordinator with a Ralts, and immediately went up to him. Ralts was one of his favorite Pokemon and he wanted to ask the boy if he would let him see it. Vivi went the opposite way to talk to a Coordinator with an Azumarill.

So while Max was busy playing the Ralts, Vivi was busy flirting.

"Oh your Azumarill is almost as cute as you are!" she said to the boy, moving close to him. The boy wasn't used to this kind of attention, so he tried to move away. Vivi just moved closer.

"I have a Marill myself, but I can't get it to evolve. You must be a pretty skilled Coordinator to have an Azumarill," she said. She was practically leaning on him now. The boy just chuckled nervously. Then Vivi heard Max yell her name.

"Vivi!" he exclaimed. "What do you think your doing!" Vivi jumped back from the flustered boy and tried to explain.

"It wasn't what it looked like!" she said, attempting to defend herself.

"Oh I'm so sure!" Max yelled back. By this time, the boy and his Azumarill had crept away. And before Vivi could say anything back, Max stormed out of the Contest Hall. On the way out, he bumped into May but he just ignored her.

"Max!" May called after him. "Where are you going?" Max didn't acknowledge her, and continued to walk away in an angry rage. Vivi then appeared next to May and Sid.

"What's up with Max?" May asked Vivi.

"It's my fault," Vivi replied not bothering to explain any further. Max had already disappeared into the crowded streets of Lilycove City and it was up to Vivi to find him.

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Max, not paying attention to where he was going, ended up on a beach with the city far behind him.

'This must be the ocean that leads to Mossdeep City,' he thought. Max walked closer to the ocean and waves washed over his feet. The salty water soaked his socks and shoes, so he tossed them aside.

Then he sat down on the warm sand and watched the tide ebb and flow. Max felt silent tears roll down his cheeks.

'How could Vivi do this to me? I thought we had something special….'

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Vivi ran through the city, not bothering to apologize to the people she ran in to. Right now, she was focused only on finding Max. Soon, the buildings began to thin out and Vivi could see the ocean. As she got closer, she saw a lone figure sitting on the beach.

"Max!" she gasped as she ran up to him.

Max didn't hear the footsteps behind him, but he felt the presence of someone there. He chose not to acknowledge them, knowing it was Vivi.

She sat down beside him and watching the waves as well. Vivi couldn't stand the silence that was between them so she spoke up.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" she said. Max only shrugged.

"It's especially beautiful if you watch it with someone you care about." Max looked at Vivi when she said this to see that tears were shining on her face.

"Well if you want to see an especially beautiful sunset then go watch it with that boy," Max snapped.

"Look Max, I'm really sorry," Vivi replied sincerely. "I don't know what came over me. I definitely like you more than that boy I just met."

"Sure," Max said turning away from her.

"Look at me Max," Vivi said sternly. Max reluctantly turned back around, avoiding her eyes.

"Now listen to me," she continued. "I care about you a lot. Plus you're really cute!" Max blushed and hoped Vivi didn't see.

"I can see you blushing Max," she said. It was like she was reading his mind. That's when Max decided to give in.

"I care about you a lot too, Vivi," he said. Vivi smiled.

"So does that mean you forgive me?" she asked.

"Yeah," Max replied. In response to this, Vivi pecked him on the cheek and gave him a hug. Max managed to smile through his tears. The newly formed couple sat together on the beach and watched the sunset…

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"Has anyone seen Max or Vivi around?" Brock asked. Him, as well as Ash and May, were gathered in the Pokemon Center.

"I haven't seen either of them since Max stormed out of the Contest Hall and Vivi followed him. I sure hope they're ok," May replied.

"Ahh, I'm sure they're fine," Ash said. "I wouldn't be too worried." At that moment, the Pokemon Center doors opened and Max walked in, accompanied by Vivi.

"Max!" May said sternly. "Where have you been?"

"Oh just around," Max replied. May wasn't in the mood to argue so she just sighed.

"As long as your back now, it's ok. Just don't go running off again." Max nodded.

"We should all be heading to bed now guys. It's pretty late and May and Vivi have a Contest tomorrow," Brock said. Everyone agreed as the headed to their rooms.

May was so pumped for the Contest that she couldn't get to sleep. But when the Sandman finally visited, her dreams were filled with images of a certain green-haired Coordinator…

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**This chapter could definitely use some work. I had no clue how to start it off so it's basically filler crap. And don't ask what was up with Vivi…she's just a flirt. Please review and tell me what you think! Next chapter is the Pokemon Contest (finally)!**


	5. The Contest Confession

Wow I updated super quickly! I only did it so maybe I would have a chance to get one more chapter up before I leave. Forever. But not really forever. Like a month and a half. This fanfiction will be on hiatus when that time comes.

This chapter is dedicated to my good buddy Emil(y)! I named characters after her and her "lover"! (But they don't act like the character do)

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the stuff I own. And Pokemon isn't apart that.**

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The Contest Confession

May awoke the next morning prepared for her Contest. She got ready then walked down to the main lobby of the Pokemon Center. She saw that Ash, Brock, Max, and Vivi were all waiting for her.

"Well you guys sure got up early," May commented.

"Or maybe you just got up late," Max replied. May's jaw dropped.

"Don't worry May," Brock said to her. "You didn't get up too late. We still have time to eat breakfast." At this, Ash's stomach grumbled. He blushed.

"Well I guess it's a good thing we have time to eat, right Pikachu?" he said. Pikachu nodded happily, seeing that it was hungry as well.

All five of them made their way into the dining area where they met up with Timmy, who was followed later by Sid. Everyone enjoyed eating breakfast and talking about the Contest.

Before May, or anyone else knew it, it was time for the Contest. Everyone headed towards the Lilycove Contest Hall. Ash and Brock wished them good luck before finding seats in the audience. Max also wished the best for Vivi before running off with Ash and Brock. Sid had disappeared as well.

This left May, Timmy, and Vivi to head to the Coordinator waiting room. There they saw Drew sitting in the corner, his Masquerain fluttering at his shoulder.

"Well I see that your Masquerain is fine," Timmy said to him.

"Yes, it is. And I'm assuming your Dusclops recovered, seeing that you are here."

"Yeah my Dusclops is great now, no thanks to you." Drew just shrugged. He was one of the only people who could make Timmy angry.

The four of them then turned their attention to the TV screen, where Vivian was welcoming the audience to the Lilycove City Pokemon Contest. Then after introducing the judges and explaining the rules, Vivian announced the start of the Contest.

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May stood there, along side Timmy and Vivi, watching all the appeals being made. There were some good ones, as well as some not so good. Finally, it was May's turn to appeal. She stepped out onto the stage to be greeted by cheers from fans. She then heard Sid's voice stick out from all the rest.

"I love you May!" he stood up and shouted. May turned a very deep shade of red and stumbled as she heard this.

"It looks like May has a boyfriend who's cheering her on," Vivian said to the entire crowd. This caused May to blush more and Timmy to steam with jealousy. Drew was a bit jealous as well; he just didn't let it show. Even though May had become flustered, she managed to ignore Sid and do a good job on her appeal.

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Time had passed and all the appeals had finally been made. May, Timmy, and Vivi all anxiously waited for the announcement of the Coordinators that made it to the next round. Drew sat, looking confident. Then Vivian's voice could be heard through the speakers.

"It's time to find out who's moving on!" she said. "The four talented Coordinators are…. Drew, Timmy, May, and Em!" Vivi gasped.

"I didn't make it…" she said sadly.

"Cheer up Vivi," May said to her. "I'm sure that next time you will make it!" But May's words didn't make Vivi feel any better. Tears sprang to her eyes as she ran out of the Contest Hall. Max saw this and pushed his way through the audience to get to her.

On his way, he passed by a couple looking happy together. Max recognized the girl as the Coordinator, Em. He glared at her for a moment the continued outside to find Vivi.

"Go away," she said as Max sat down beside her.

"Vivi, I'm really sorry you lost the Contest," he said to her. "But things happen like this all the time. Even my sister May has lost her fair-share of Contests. She's never given up though." Max looked at the crying girl with gentle eyes. He put an arm around her and she cried into his shoulder. Vivi then stopped crying and looked Max in the eyes.

"Thank you," she said. Then she planted another kiss on his cheek. Max blushed and turned away.

"We should get back inside the Contest Hall," he said. "The next round is about to begin." Vivi nodded and they walked back inside the Contest Hall. This time when they passed Em, she spoke to them.

"Don't worry sweetie," Em said to Vivi in a snobby tone. "There are other Contests out there that you can lose." The boy snickered. "Shut up Brandon and lets go," she then said. "I've gotta Contest to win!" The boy known as Brandon immediately followed.

Vivi just stood there, looking extremely angry.

"Well she sure is nice," Max commented sarcastically.

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When Max and Vivi made their way back into the audience, the next round had already started. It was May versus Em in a fierce battle. May was using her Beautifly while Em was fighting with a Blaziken.

"Use Swift then Ember!" Em commanded to her Blaziken. The Pokemon shot a storm of stars out of its mouth. Then the Ember attack made the stars a glowing orange color. These burning stars hit Beautifly, sending it to the ground.

"Oh no!" Max exclaimed from the crowd. "It's only the beginning of the match and May has already lost a lot of her points!"

"Beautifly!" May cried. The butterfly Pokemon managed to get back into the air. "Use Gust and String Shot!" Beautifly first entangled Blaziken in the String Shot attack. Then in used to wings to create a strong wind. Blaziken attempted to burn through the string and dodge it, but it was of no use.

The combo attack knocked Blaziken off its feet and caused Em's points to decrease.

"Get up Blaziken!" she yelled. "Turn this around with a Blaze Kick!" Blaziken then stood up; it's wrists and ankles aflame. It jumped into the air and hit Beautifly with a well-aimed kick. Beautifly was sent spiraling to earth.

"Now use Slash!" Em wanted to get the battle over and done with. Blaziken obeyed, Slashing Beautifly with its claws. The butterfly Pokemon landed on the ground, knocked out.

"The winner of this amazing battle is Em!" Vivian announced. Both Coordinators withdrew their Pokemon, May looking disappointed and Em looking triumphant. They reluctantly shook hands and returned to the waiting room. Em immediately went to go sit with Brandon. Drew then approached May.

"Well I'm not surprised with the outcome," he said to her. "Em is an experienced Coordinator with 4 ribbons. That's a lot compared to your two." May decided to ignore him as she pushed past him. Drew handed her a rose before she could walk away and May couldn't help but smile.

Timmy who was standing nearby looked at Drew with distaste. Then he had told May what a good job she did, even though she lost. May thanked him and proceeded to sit down.

Suddenly, Sid burst through the door.

"May!" he shouted, making everyone stare at him. Em and Brandon looked up from their "make-out session" to see who was making all the racket. Then they just shrugged at his stupidity and continued kissing.

"May!" he said again. "I'm so sorry that you lost. You did a great job anyway!" May's face turned red. It wasn't because she was really embarrassed; she was just becoming annoyed.

"Yeah, ok, thanks everybody. I think I'm just going to sit outside for a bit," she said.

"Are you ok?" Timmy asked her, seeing he was concerned.

"Yeah," May replied, looking at Drew. "I'm just fine…."

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May didn't bother to watch the rest of the Contest. She really didn't feel like it. She was too busy thinking about her relationship with, well, everybody. Especially Drew.

'He annoys me so much sometimes,' she thought. 'But sometimes I feel as though I love him.I mean I've kissed him and all, but he doesn't seem to remember or care…'

Cheers and claps coming from the Contest Hall then interrupted May's thoughts. The Contest was over. Drew had managed to defeat Timmy, but ended up losing against Em, who became the victor. And there May was, the loser who only had two measly ribbons. That was nothing compared to Timmy's three ribbons and the five ribbons Drew had that allowed him to enter the Grand Festival. He said he only entered the Contest for fun and practice, but May thought otherwise.

She was glad to finally have some peace and quiet to think in when someone came up behind her. May just assumed it was one of her friends trying to cheer her up. But it turned out to be Drew.

"Nice job in the Contest Drew," May said to him, unsure if she really meant it.

"Well thanks," he replied. "But it didn't really matter. I already have my five ribbons. I just thought I should have some fun."

"Something tells me that you didn't just do this for the fun of it."

"Oh really? Well what do you know?"

"It just so happens I know a lot more about love than you," May muttered, hoping Drew wouldn't hear. But unfortunately, he did.

"Love! Who could I possibly _love_ in this Contest?" Drew lost his cool for a moment and May took this as her chance. She looked into his teal eyes and said,

"Me." May then leaned forward and kissed Drew on the lips. Drew was tense at first, but then he relaxed and kissed her back. Then May broke off abruptly and stood up.

"I'll be seeing you again, ok?" she said quickly with a smile. Drew was about to make her sit back down and explain what just happened, but she walked away before he had the chance.

Drew was happy about the kiss, but he was confused as to where he stood with May. He just shook his head and got up.

'Only time will tell…'

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I hope you liked this chapter! There was Contestshipping and Winstrateshipping! If you are wondering about the Pokeshipping , it doesn't come in until later. Like chapter 10 I think.

I also don't think that Blaziken can learn Swift. I guess Em's Blaziken is special. And don't ask what would happen if Drew had won the Contest. He would have 6 ribbons! What would he do with the extra ribbon? I don't know. Rub it in May's face probably. Well please review!


	6. The Departure and Wandering Thoughts

Sorry this chapter is so short and stupid. And it doesn't make up for the fact that I haven't updated in forever and a day. There's not much going on except for the fact that May and all her buddies part ways and on the ferry to Mossdeep, and people think. About stuff. So yeah.

For once I am actually going to respond to my reviewers! I just suddenly felt the need to.

Is4Guys: Well I'm glad you like the story so far…And I know why you like Em. Don't pretend you don't know. :glares: Whenever I look at my reviewer page, your second review, the big capital letters and the chatspeak stick out. But I know that's not your fault. And even though you and someone else who I shall not speak of TOTALLY RUINED MY REVIEW PAGE, I still wuv you. And I'm just kidding. Thanks for the reviews.

Xx ShuuHaru xX: I'm sorry that you didn't like the little kiss on the cheek in the beginning…I wrote that prologue right after seeing the episode that it was based off of. That's just what I wanted to happen. Cuz then that would be awesome.

Animeromance92 and Haruka Kinomiya: It's great that you both like the fanfiction so far. Sorry it's taken forever and a day to update!

Yeah and that's it….

**Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine. Boohoo.**

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The Departure and Wandering Thoughts

Ash was definitely reared up and ready for his next Gym Battle. Unfortunately, someone's eagerness to say goodbye to everyone was holding him back.

"Come on, come on!" Ash whined. "I'm ready to go get my next Badge now!"

"Be patient, Ash," Brock replied. "May needs the time to say bye to all her friends."

"Yeah and if you haven't noticed, we have no way to get across the water to Mossdeep City," Max added. Ash sweatdropped and Vivi giggled. He then turned to look at May, who was not to far from them, saying her goodbyes to Timmy.

"Well I hope we meet up again soon," she said to him, shaking his hand.

"Most definitely!" Timmy replied. "At the next Contest, hopefully."

"Yeah that would be great!" May then turned to see her friends not to far off. "Well it looks like I'm wanted," she said. "I better go. But I'll make sure to see you again!" Timmy smiled as May gave him a quick hug before running off to join Ash.

Sid was standing nearby, dumbstruck. He had been watching (and listening to) the whole conversation.

'She didn't even say goodbye to me!' he exclaimed in his thoughts. Sid ran to catch up with May. She wasn't leaving unless she said goodbye to him.

"What about me!" he shouted.

"Oh sorry," May replied. "I was so overwhelmed that I kind of forget. Well I'll probably see you sooner or later." Sid frowned and dropped to his knees. He grabbed May's ankles and began to bawl his eyes out.

"Oh May!" he cried. "Please don't leave me! I need you!" May tried to tug him off but it was no use.

"Sid, please," May pleaded. "I promise that we'll see each other again." Sid let go of her leg and stood up.

"You promise?" he asked.

"Yes, I promise," May replied, sincerely.

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Ash, Brock, May, Max, and Vivi found out that there was a small boat traveling from Lilycove to Mossdeep. Fortunately, it wasn't leaving for another 20 minutes, so they had plenty of time to make it to the port. Surprisingly, the port was practically deserted. You would except that after a huge Contest like Lilycove just had, Coordinators would be leaving immediately to make it to the next one. The only person at the dock was Drew. Neither May or her friends noticed that he stood there, twirling a rose absent-mindedly between his fingers.

It was the rose that he was planning on giving to May. But after what happened after the Contest, the rose seemed so insignificant. Drew couldn't think of how a simple red rose could compete with his first kiss. But then again, it was the only way he could show his feelings for her….

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May leaned over the side of the boat and stared at the water. They had not left the Lilycove port yet and her friends were all standing around her, waiting to depart. Somewhere far off, a clock chimed signaling that it was 11 o' clock. The horn on the boat blew and it slowly pulled away from the port.

It wasn't until then that May noticed Drew was standing there, watching the boat sail away. She waved to him and smiled and he raised his hand in reply. He then turned and walked back towards the city.

Just then, a sailor walked up to May and her friends.

"By any chance, could one of you be May?" he asked them.

"That's me!" May replied turning around to face him.

"A green-haired boy gave this to me and told me that this rose was for your Beautify," the sailor said handing her the red rose. May scowled as she grabbed it, but she couldn't help but smile. Her friends looked at her in confusion but didn't say anything.

She turned away from her them and faced the water showing that she wasn't going to explain. May already knew that they all probably thought the rose was from Drew though. Seeing that they had nothing better to do, everyone split up to wander the boat.

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May stood on the deck, sniffing the rose. She thought about her actions earlier outside of the Contest Hall.

'I can't believe I kissed him,' she thought. 'I admitted to liking him and he said he liked me. Now what? Will our next meeting be awkward?'

May pondered her worries while gazing at the waves rocking the boat. She decided that it was better if she just forgot about it for now. When the time came, May and Drew would have their talk.

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Ash stood at the bow of the boat, feeling the cool ocean breeze hitting his face. The salty smell in the air was oddly refreshing. His Pikachu sat on his shoulder, also enjoying the warm weather.

Ash was definitely looking forward to his next Gym Battle. For once, he actually thought of about strategy. He learned about the Psychic twin Gym Leaders, Tate and Liza, from a Trainer in Lilycove City. He knew he should use his newly evolved Crawdaunt, seeing it was a Dark-type. He also thought about using Grovyle as well, and if that didn't work out he could always count on Pikachu.

Staring out at the shimmering water, Ash's thoughts drifted to Misty. It seemed as though lately Ash couldn't get his mind off of her. He apparently longed to see her more than ever…

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Brock traveled the boat, looking for girls to flirt with. Luckily he was alone so there would be no one pulling on his ear. To his surprise, the boat was deserted except for an old couple sitting on two beach chairs. Brock sighed, disappointed.

He suddenly thought about his quest to become a Pokemon Breeder. He guessed that traveling helped, but not as much as he would like. Brock remembered an article in a magazine about a famous breeding center on a place called Ruby Island. Maybe he should give up on traveling and say good-bye to his friends and work there.

Brock thought for a moment and made his decision…

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Max and Vivi sat at the back of the boat on a bench. Vivi's head was resting on Max's shoulder and she was quietly dozing. He really enjoyed the fact that he got to see her again…and that they could actually share their feelings for each other. Max wasn't sure if he had every felt this way for someone before. He probably hadn't, seeing he was only 8.

But at that moment, age did not matter. He was with Vivi, and that's all that counts.

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_Ding!_ A bell sounded over the boat's intercom system and a voice was heard.

"We have arrived in Mossdeep City. Please depart the boat when we dock and we've hoped you've had a nice trip!" Ash was the first one to step foot on the peaceful island city. Large trees had sprouted up everywhere and there was a refreshing sea breeze. One of the main attractions in Mossdeep City was the space station, where space shuttles were often launched.

Ash, ignoring what was around him, began to frantically search the island for the Gym. May shook her head as she stepped off the boat.

"Typical Ash," she muttered, and followed after him. It was a smart idea to keep him in site, just in case he caused any trouble…

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Despise this chapter with great intensity like I do? Well then tell me with a review! Enjoyed this chapter because you are strange (no offense)? Well then tell me that too! Oh and if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please tell me. I checked this chapter over, but not very well…


	7. The Whirlpool aka The Islands

Yes, I know the last chapter was fillerish. But they couldn't just like magically appear at Mossdeep! Or could they? …I'm sorry that this chapter is SO EXTREMELY SHORT.

But it's important because it leads to this whole special chunk of the story…And, there's another time jump! Woohoo! Aren't time jumps just teh bees knees! (By the way, it's written in May's POV)

**And unfortunately, there will not be any Contestshipping or Pokeshipping for a bit…but I would still appreciate it if you still read and review!**

**Disclaimer: Meh no owneh Pokemon.**

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The Whirlpool (aka The Islands)

I was lying down, half asleep on the back of Ash's newly acquired Gyrados. A lot has happened in the past month (and a half). For one, Ash battled his way to get all 8 badges. I have to admit, he's a decent Trainer. Being the way he is, Ash wanted to head immediately to the Pokemon League. But he seemed to have forgotten that I still needed my 5th ribbon from Pacifidlog Town.

After arguing with him, I managed to persuade him we should head to Pacifidlog first, the Ever Grande City. Of course other things have happened since we left Lilycove City. Ash caught a few new Pokemon like Gyarados and Clamperl. His Grovyle also evolved.

Later, we actually witnessed a legendary battle between the two Pokemon, Groudon and Kyogre. Team Aqua and Team Magma both awakened the Pokemon from their slumber, causing disastrous effects on the weather.

Then, out of the clouds, a green flying Pokemon called Rayquaza appeared to stop the fighting. All three Pokemon disappeared and the weather cleared up. This all happened at Sootopolis City where Ash got his final Badge.

But imagine, I'm on my way to getting my 5th ribbon, the one that will qualify me for the Grand Festival. I started to daydream about winning my last ribbon and maybe even winning the Grand Festival. My thoughts were interrupted by my little brother's voice.

"May stop daydreaming! We're almost to Pacifidlog Town," Max informed we. I sat up and looked around. There was nothing but a vast, empty ocean all around me.

"It doesn't look like we are anywhere near Pacifidlog," I snapped.

"Well how would you know?" Max snapped back.

"Because I don't see an island anywhere near here!"

"So! The PokeNav says that Pacifidlog Town is right up ahead!"

"How can you rely on that piece of junk, Max?"

"It's not a piece of junk!" Max shouted, jumping up on his feet.

"I think you two should stop and calm down," Brock said sternly as Vivi made Max sit back down. "We'll get there when we get there."

Max turned away with his arms crossed as Vivi tried to calm him. I laid back down on Gyarados and stared up at the sky. Little brothers can be so annoying.

Suddenly, the current got stronger and Ash lost control of Gyarados. It began to thrash about and I could barely hang on. While Ash tried to settle Gyarados, I saw Max looking ahead with fear in his eyes.

"Look up ahead!" he shouted over the roar of the water.

"A whirlpool!"

"Gyarados! Try to swim away!" Ash commanded. But it was no use. We were being pulled into the whirlpool.

"Hang on!" Vivi yelled, like we weren't doing that already. Just then, we were all sucked in to swirling vortex of water.

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**Again, I'm sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter. But the next like 4 chapters should make up for it. Trust me. ;)**


	8. The Red Island

ZOMG, you'll never guess who this chapter is about…. You didn't guess it::drumroll: It's Brock! Amazing I know. But when you get completely split up because of a whirlpool everybody has to get his or her own chapter. Cuz I mean if they didn't, that would be totally unfair.

**Oh and thanks for all the reviews I've gotten for the last 2 chapters!**

**Disclaimer: How may times do I have to say I don't own it?**

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The Red Island

"Mister, mister! Wake up!" Brock felt someone shaking him so he opened his eyes. There was a young girl, around 8 or 9, kneeling above me. He slowly got up and looked around him, the girl staring with curious eyes. Brock was apparently on an island, with none of his friends is sight. The little girl then tapped Brock on the shoulder and handed him a towel.

"Oh, thanks!" Brock said to her. "I'm Brock and um, can you tell me where I am?" The girl giggled.

"Hi Brock!" she then said. "I'm Casey and you're on Ruby Island! I found you here washed up on shore, not too long ago." Brock thought for a moment and then said,

"Ruby Island, eh? Does there happen to be a Breeding Center around here?" Casey looked at him and then smiled.

"Of course! The Breeding Center is what Ruby Island is famous for! My older sister, Jessica, runs the place. Come on, I'll show you!"

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It was warm on Ruby Island; the sun was almost always shining. Strange red fruit grew off the trees and red flowers were blooming everywhere. Brock noticed that that most of the wild life seemed to be…red! Even the Pokemon! He was about to ask what was up with it all, but then Casey began to speak.

"See those fruit up there?" she said, pointing to a plump red fruit hanging off a tree branch. "Those are Renoma Berries. For some reason, they change the color of the Pokemon to red. It's all very interesting. As well as being a Pokemon Breeder, my sister is a scientist studying the Berries."

"It does sound interesting," Brock agreed. And he was definitely looking forward to meeting Jessica now. She was probably smart and beautiful!

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"We're here!" Casey announced, showing me a large red building on top of a hill. Casey started to run up the path to the Breeding Center, jumping multiple steps at a time.

"Hey! Wait up!" Brock called after her, stumbling to keep up. Finally, he made it to the top of the hill, panting for breath.

"Come on in!" Casey then said, motioning him inside. She sure did have a lot of energy…

"Sis!" she called when they stepped inside. "Jessica! We have a visitor!"

"I'm coming!" A young woman bounded down the stairs to meet up with them.

Brock immediately fell in love. Jessica had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a jade green T-shirt under a lab coat and knee-length blue shorts.

"Hey sis," Casey started. "This is-," Casey was cut off as Brock zoomed passed her to Jessica.

"Hi I'm Brock and I think you're beautiful." He said, grabbing a hold of her hands. "Since I got separated from my friends I think it would be a good idea if I stayed here. Maybe you can show me around the Center and then we could have dinner." Jessica blushed and pulled her hands away from him.

"I guess if you tell me more about what happened to you, you are welcome to stay and take a tour…And dinner," she paused for a moment. "Sounds quite nice." Brock sighed romantically as his heart fluttered away. Casey stared at him in amusement.

"We should get on with the tour," Jessica said then. "You can tell me all about what happened then." Brock nodded and followed her outback.

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Brock was laying on the spare bed that Jessica and Casey had provided for him. He had a great first day on Ruby Island. Jessica had showed him the different terrains she had outside that best suited every Pokemon. Then she had showed him the lab on the inside where she was busy studying the Renoma Berries.

Jessica also shared the information that she had gathered on the Berries with Brock. She had learned a lot about them already.

Dinner was great as well. Brock and Jessica had a candlelight dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, made by Casey. She was an excellent cook; Brock could understand why Jessica was so happy to have her around.

During dinner, they mostly talked about Pokemon Breeder. Brock learned much from her in just that one night, and he hoped she had learned some too. He was beginning to think that saying on Ruby Island wouldn't be such a bad idea after all…

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Brock woke up earlier than usual the next morning. He did his daily morning routine and then headed down to the kitchen. To my surprise, Jessica was already was already sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning," Brock sad to her. She looked up from the paper she had in her hand and smiled.

"Good morning Brock." He sat down across for her. Jessica was now absentmindedly stirring her coffee and staring at the newspaper.

"You hungry?" Brock suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"As a matter of fact, I am" Jessica replied. "I'm kind of in the mood for pancakes."

"Pancakes it is!" Brock exclaimed, smiling.

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"Hey Jessica?" Brock said looking up from his almost empty plate.

"Yes Brock?" she replied, also looking up from her plate.

"Well as I mentioned before, I am an aspiring Pokemon Breeder. And I think that maybe-since you're also and Pokemon Breeder and all- I could stay here on Ruby Island and be your assistant." Jessica was silent a moment as she stared at me.

"Oh please," Brock began. "I've had experience before and I'll do my best and work hard--," he was cut off by Jessica's voice.

"Of course you can stay Brock," she said. "I would be happy to have you as my lab assistant." Brock smiled and suddenly remembered about his friends.

"Thank you, but there is something I have to do first." At that moment, Casey finally came downstairs. She made herself a waffle and paid them no mind.

Jessica looked at me, puzzled at first.

"What do you need to do?" she asked. Brock sighed, and then began.

"As you know, I got washed up on this island because of a whirlpool. The thing is, I wasn't alone when I got caught up it in. I have four friends somewhere out at sea and it's very important that I find them." Jessica's face showed concern.

"There are 2 and sometimes 3 other islands around here. I bet you would be able to find your friend there. And to help, I'll let you use my Lapras to travel from island to island. Also, you can have a map in case you get lost." Brock nodded.

"Thank you very much! I promise once I find my friends, I'll be back." At this time, Jessica gave Brock a quick peck on the cheek, wishing him luck. At this, Casey perked up while Brock blushed and floated away.

"Huh? What's going on?" Casey asked.

"I'll explain later," Jessica said, showing Brock out. She handed him a PokeBall containing Lapras. After bidding goodbye to Jessica and Casey, Brock ran out the down, down the path and through the forest. He stopped at the coastline and pulled out the map.

"Hmm," he said to himself. "Emerald Island seems to be the closest. I better head there first." He threw the PokeBall and a Lapras materialized out of it. Brock then jumped on its back.

"To Emerald Island!" he commanded. Lapras immediately obeyed and headed east.

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**All done! Please review!**


	9. The Green Island

**Wow. Again, I'm sorry it's taken forever to update. I've been busy, busy, busy! **

**This is like the longest chapter I've ever written ever though. But that's cuz it was originally two chapters. That I combined. To make it a long chapter. So yeah. Here it is…an uber long chapter that involves Max and Vivi. Surprise.**

**Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. It.**

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The Green Island

Max awoke to find himself lying on the soft, warm sand of a beach. He slowly got up, rubbed his head, and looked around. The whole area ahead of him was lush and forested. Just then, Max realized he had no clue where he was or where the others were. He ran up and down the beach, calling his friends names.

He spotted a figure in the distance, lying on the shore. Upon closer inspection, Max discovered that it was Vivi.

"Vivi!" he called, running up to her. Max shook her gently, repeating her name. Gradually, she came to. She coughed a few times and then hugged Max.

"Oh Max!" she exclaimed. "I was so scared! But I'm glad I'm with you now!" Max smiled.

"It's ok Vivi. We're together now." Vivi hugged him tighter. "The thing is, I have no clue where we are."

"So the PokeNav doesn't work?" Max pulled it out of his pocket and pressed some buttons. Nothing happened so he shook his head.

"Max, what are we going to do?" Vivi asked, worried.

"We should search the area. Maybe we will find a town or people who can help us."

"Good idea," Vivi replied. Max then took her head and led her into the green forest.

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Brock checked the map and observed that Emerald Island was not too far away.

"Just a little farther, Lapras," Brock said encouraging the Pokemon. It cried out loudly in response.

Brock carefully stood up on the Pokemon's back and scanned the ocean. He could see the tops of trees in the distance.

'That must the place,' he thought, hoping his friends would be there.

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Vivi and Max wandered aimlessly through the dense forest for what seemed like hours. All there was were trees, trees, and more trees. Max suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and Vivi bumped into him. A green blur ran across their path and hid in the bushes.

Vivi let out a small squeak of surprise. Max quieted her and slowly crept towards the bushes. He parted them only to find…a green Zigzagoon!

"Vivi, you have to see this!" he exclaimed, almost scaring off the frightened Pokemon. She cautiously walked over to Max and peered over his shoulder. She gasped.

"Wow that's so cool!" The Zigzagoon then scurried off and Max and Vivi continued to trek through the forest. They noticed that most of the Pokemon they encountered were in fact green. Soon, after walking a little while longer, they heard another rustle in the bushes.

"Who's there?" Max said firmly. There was no answer. But Max could've sworn he heard someone make a noise. Like with the Zigzagoon incident, Max crept towards the bushes and looked into them.

Only this time, a young girl was crouching down, holding a basket with a few small, green berries in it. Some of the berries were scattered around like she had dropped them. The girl looked up at me and shrieked. Max jumped back before saying,

"Oh I'm sorry that I startled you! I heard a noise and decided to check it out. Here, let me help you with those berries." The girl nodded as Max bent down to grab the berries and put them in the basket. He grabbed the girl's hand to help her up.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"No problem," he replied. "By the way, I'm Max." Vivi, who had been watching from behind, suddenly stepped forward.

"And _I'm_ Max's _girlfriend_, Vivi." Max noticed how she empathized the fact she was his girlfriend. He was beginning to think that maybe she was slightly jealous.

"Nice to meet you," the girl said politely, not acting like Vivi's last comment affected her. "I'm Lexi. And are you guys new here?" Vivi and Max glanced at each other for a moment.

"Well," Max began, "We actually washed up on shore after getting caught in a whirlpool. We got separated from our friends."

"And while we're on the subject," Vivi then added, "Where exactly is _here_?"

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Lexi explained to them that they were on Emerald Island, also known as Legendary Island. She had taken them into her house in the small village she lived in.

"So why is this called the Legendary Island, anyway?" Max asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Well I don't exactly know," Lexi replied. "But my grandma knows. She's out right now, but she should be home soon." She placed the basket of Berries on the counter and gestured for them to sit down. Max sat there noticing that Vivi was unusually quiet.

"Why are all the Pokemon on this Island abnormally green?" she suddenly asked. Lexi sighed.

"Well that's another part of the legend my grandma knows. So again, you're going to have to wait for her."

"That's fine," Max replied. Suddenly an old women burst through the door.

"Oh sorry I'm late, Lexi!" she said. "Oh look! We have visitors! Make yourself at home! Lexi put on some water for tea! You must treat guests with kindness!" As Lexi headed into the kitchen, her grandma turned to Max and Vivi.

"Why, hello!" Max smiled at Vivi nervously. She sure was an energetic woman. "As you may have guessed, I'm Lexi's grandmother," she continued, bouncing around the house.

Lexi walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray with four cups of tea balanced on it. She handed a cup to the three of them, and kept one for herself.

"This is Max and Vivi," she then said, introducing them to her grandmother.

"Ah! It's very nice to meet the both of you! You may call me Grandmother, Grandma, Granny, or whatever you like!"

Max chuckled nervously and Vivi just sat there, sipping her tea quietly.

"Grandma, Max and Vivi are both curious about the legend of Emerald Island," Lexi said, her voice breaking the silence that had fallen over them. Her grandmother sat there for a moment, thinking.

"The legend of Emerald Island, eh? I could tell you if you are genuinely interested." Max and Vivi both nodded vigorously.

"Well it's settled then! Like most legends, the story begins a long time ago…"

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Brock and Lapras landed on the sandy beach of Emerald Island. Brock called Lapras back into its Pokeball as he looked around.

'Man, it's probably going to be hard to find anyone in the thick forests of this place,' he thought. 'I guess I better get started.'

Brock wandered through the forest, not accomplishing much.

'Maybe no one's here!' He then sat down and took an apple out of his backpack.

Suddenly, a Pokemon that Brock thought was a Pikachu, jumped out of the bushes and snatched the apple from his hands.

"Hey, come back here with that!" Brock yelled, but then he stopped, realizing something odd about the Pikachu. It was green! He looked up into the trees to see many green-colored Berries.

"Just like at Ruby Island!" he exclaimed. Brock picked a few of the Berries so he could bring them back to Jessica.

He then saw a sign up ahead with some writing on it. After running closer, he was able to read what it said.

'To the Village: Follow the Path" Brock knew that maybe there would be someone in the village who could help him. With his spirits lifted, Brock began to search for the village.

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"There was a lot of trouble in the past with Pokemon fighting, especially legendaries," Lexi's grandmother began. "They were so powerful they could not control their energy. So instead the Pokemon held battle that had catastrophic outcomes. The most well-known battle was between Groudon and Kyogre."

Both Max and Vivi nodded, seeing that they had just witnessed the second time this event occurred. Lexi's grandmother continued, saying how many other Pokemon participated in battles like this.

As Vivi listened, she noticed herself feeling drowsy. Her eyes began to close and she lost focus. She heard things about a powerful Pokemon stopping a battle between three others…their colored spirits being scattered across the ocean…That's the last thing she took in before finally drifting off to sleep.

Not that long later, Vivi felt herself being shaken. She awoke abruptly, to see Max standing over her and Lexi just staring.

"We kinda lost ya there, didn't we Vivi?" Grandma asked, smiling.

"Yeah sorry. I was just really tired."

"Well now that's over, is the anything else you would like to know about this island?" Max and Vivi both shook their heads. "Great! Now how about a tour of the village?" Max yawned then said,

"A tour would be nice but Vivi made me tired. Is there anyway I could take a quick nap?"

"Why of course Max!" Grandma replied. "How about you Vivi?"

"Actually a tour would be great!" Lexi's grandma smiled and stood up.

"Well then Vivi, I can give you a tour while Lexi stays here with Max. Is that ok with you?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Vivi looked worried for a moment but Max her a warm smile. She then returned the motion and headed out the door with Lexi's grandmother.

'I really hope everything will be aright,' Vivi thought, just as Lexi shut the door behind her.

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Lexi showed Max to the spare bedroom. There was a small, yet comfortable looking bed, a wooden desk, and an old, rickety chair. Max hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off his shoes.

"Don't be nervous," Lexi said to him. "As Grandma said, make yourself right at home. Do you need anything?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," Max replied, yawning again. He laid back on the bed and covered himself with the sheet. He was almost asleep when he heard Lexi's voice.

"I'll come wake you up later. Sweet dreams."

When she finally closed the door, Max was already sound asleep.

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Vivi ran ahead of Grandma, taking a look into many shop windows and bumping into random people. Grandma was doing her best to keep up, and surprisingly, she was succeeding. Then suddenly, Vivi stopped, gazing wide-eyed into a jewelry shop. In the window lay a silver bracelet encrusted with green jewels.

"Oh, isn't it beautiful?" Vivi said to Lexi's grandmother, who was now standing behind her.

"Yes, it is. Emerald Island is also well known for its beautiful jewelry. Would you like to try it on?"

"No," Vivi replied. "It's just really nice to look at." She smiled and turned to face Grandma.

"Well in that case, there's much more to see! Including Emerald Island's expanse forests!"

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Max awoke and looked around. He ruby his sleepy eyes to notice that Lexi was sitting on the chair near his bedside.

"Oh your up," she said.

"Yeah. Is Vivi back yet?"

"No, she's not. Grandma just called and said that would be home soon though. But in the meanwhile, I could fix us something up in the kitchen."

"That sounds great," Max said. "I am kinda hungry."

"Well come on then," Lexi said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the bedroom.

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Max and Lexi were chowing down on sandwiches in the living room.

"Yum! These are really good sandwiches, Lexi! Your almost as good as my friend Brock when it comes to cooking!"

"Thanks Max," she replied shyly. Then she stood up and went into the kitchen. "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder.

Max sat, attempting to finish off his sandwich. When Lexi came back, she sat down, scooting her chair closer to Max's. He coughed uncomfortably as Lexi scooted even closer. When she was practically on top of him, she whispered,

"I really like you Max."

He choked on his sandwich, causing his to drop his plate. He bent over to pick it up, but Lexi stopped him.

"Don't worry about that, silly," she said, still trying to get closer. "We can always get it later."

She leaned in towards Max's face, as to try to kiss him. Max was paralyzed, his eyes wide with fear. When the tips of their noses were just about touching, the front door opened. Lexi's grandmother and Vivi stood in the doorway. Lexi pulled away, but she wasn't fast enough. Vivi gasped.

"I need some fresh air," she then said in a strained voice, exiting the house.

"But wait," Grandma said, confused. "We were just outside. What's going on?" Apparently, she had not seen what Vivi had witnessed.

Lexi shrugged innocently, pretending she did not know. Max shot her an angry glance and ran out the door after Vivi.

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Brock was having no luck. He had been asking around the town if they had seen his friends for a while now, but no one was able to help him.

Then he heard familiar voices coming from behind a tree. He peeked around it to see Max and Vivi. Brock was about to jump out in excitement, until he realized Max and Vivi were arguing.

"What were you doing with her?!" Vivi asked furiously.

"Nothing! We were just eating and she tried to kiss me! I didn't ask her to!" Max explained.

"But it didn't seem like you were going to try and stop her!"

"Well that's just because…" Max's voice faltered. "Look Vivi. I don't want to fight again. Not after what happened in Lilycove." Vivi's face softened.

"I don't wanna fight either, Max. I'm sorry I reacted the way they did." They both hugged and Vivi looked him in the eye.

"I still don't want you near," she said sternly. Max smiled.

"That's going to be kind of hard, seeing that we are staying with them."

"I guess I'll just never leave your side," Vivi joked. "Let's go back now."

At this point, Brock leapt away from the tree so that they didn't know he was eavesdropping. He stood away from them, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Brock!" Max exclaimed as he saw him.

"Max! Vivi!" Brock said, faking surprise. "Did you guys wash up on shore here?"

"Yeah, we did. We found a place to stay too," Max replied. "How about you?"

"I washed up on Ruby Island, which isn't too far from here. I met a wonderful woman there and her little sister. I borrowed their Lapras to get here."

"Looks like Brock has a new girlfriend!" Vivi said, giggling.

"Yeah, you were just lucky I wasn't there to pull you away," Max said teasing him.

"Yes, well in all seriousness guys, we need to find Ash and May. We can leave whenever you guys are ready."

"That's fine. But first we should say goodbye and thanks to Lexi and her grandma."

Max, Vivi, and Brock all walked back to Lexi's house. She was on the couch, pouting when they walked in. Her grandma was in the kitchen, straightening up.

"Welcome back, you two," Grandma said as she walked into the room. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Brock," Max answered. "He's one of our friends who we got separated from during the whirlpool."

"It's nice to meet you," Brock said politely. "Thank you for watching over my friends and making sure they were ok."

"It was no problem," Grandma said with a smile. "Now that you guys have joined up together again, are you going to be leaving soon?" Max and Vivi looked up as he replied.

"Yeah I guess so. We are still missing our two other friends. We will probably head over to Sapphire Island to look next."

"Hmm… That's not too far. It's a beautiful island. Rains a lot though. Do you think you might need an umbrella?"

"No thanks. We'll be fine." During the conversation, Lexi had still been on the couch, looking glum. As Max, Vivi, and Brock turned to leave, she suddenly rose.

"Goodbye guy!" Max and Vivi said in unison. "And thanks for your hospitality!"

"Good luck finding your friends!" Grandma replied, waving. Lexi began to take a few steps toward Max, but said nothing. She looked as though she was about to embrace him, but retreating when she saw the look Vivi was giving her.

Instead, Lexi just waved and winked at Max. He felt himself blush.

Vivi pulled him out of the house, following Brock, saying their final farewells to Lexi and her grandmother.

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**Zomigosh, I'm finally finished. I'm sorry I kinda skimped out on the legend thing. I couldn't think of anything! Well on a good note, the next chapter is finally Pokeshipping! The thing is, I haven't even finished writing it yet. But I'll try. **

**Thanks for reading and please review! And if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes please tell me.**


	10. The Blue Island

**Finally, I'm updating this fanfiction after like…a long time. This should've been up a few days ago actually, but I was stuck on vacation with no computer access.**

**This chapter is all Pokeshipping, yay! This my first true attempt on Pokeshipping so I'm sorry if it's OOC or weird or whatever.**

**But other than that, I would like to thank all my reviewers. It was the positive reviews that kept me going. But one of my anonymous reviewers, Nick Johnson, did have a few, simple questions, that could be easily answered by reading the story or at least the summary itself. But I'll answer them anyway because I'm nice like that.**

**-Did you read the summary? I think it covers just about everything.**

**-During the Hoenn saga. A long time ago before Battle Frontier and Sinnoh. I'm way behind with this.**

**-Like I just said, Hoenn.**

**-I dunno. However old they are at the time in the series.**

**-Ash and all his friends and some other people.**

**Disclaimer: Now that that's out of the way, I must say that I, unfortunately, do not own Pokemon.**

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**The Blue Island**

Waves rushed onto a beach where a black-haired Pokemon Trainer could be seen, lying out cold on his back. As the cool water soaked his shoes, he twitched, and his eyes slowly opened.

"Where am I?" Ash asked, sitting up and scratching his head. He grabbed his trademark hat, which was lying behind him, and placed it upon his head. Near the beach a few palm trees grew, and farther back was a thin-forested area of trees with large blue Berries hanging off of them. Ash sat dumbstruck for a moment before realizing his dire situation.

"Where's everyone? And Pikachu?!" At that moment, he heard the familiar cry of his electric mouse Pokemon.

"Pika!" It said happily, running up to its best friend and Trainer.

"Pikachu! I'm so glad you're okay! Have you seen any signs of the others?"

Pikachu sadly shook its head, but pointed down the beach. Ash could see the tops of colorful umbrellas, meaning there must be people. Pikachu took off running with Ash following right behind him.

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It wasn't long before Ash saw plenty of people as well as Pokemon relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day at the beach. Behind them, there was an elevated area where an entire city had been built. Between the two sets of steps leading to the city was a sign that read:

"Sapphire Island, the bustling, rainy city"

Ash stared up at the almost cloudless sky.

"No sign of rain today," he concluded. He was about to head up to the city and find a Pokemon Center when he noticed Pikachu had ran off again.

His gaze followed the path of the yellow Pokemon until it stopped to rest on a girl sitting on the beach with a Corsola by her side. A huge smile formed on Ash's face as he recognized her fiery orange hair.

"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, sprinting over to his long time friend. Pikachu was already there, scampering around with happiness.

"Ash!" Misty's face lit up. "You're the last person I would expect to see here!'

"I should be saying the same thing," he replied.

"So what brings you to Sapphire Island?" Ash looked downcast for a moment before speaking.

"My friends and I got caught in a whirlpool on our way to Pacifidlog Town. We were separated."

"That's terrible! I was wondering why you were alone… But now that you're here, you might as well enjoy it. C'mon, I'll take you to where I'm staying."

Ash nodded and followed his old friend up the steps and into the city.

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Ash and Pikachu stood beside Misty and stared up at the building in awe. It was a fancy hotel, many stories high, with a blue-lighted sign on the roof that read, "Sapphire Hotel". Out front was a large, majestic fountain, illuminated by blue spotlights. Bellboys were grabbing luggage while valets parked nice cars.

"Whoa," Ash said. "This place is awesome. But I can't afford a room here!" Misty laughed.

"Don't worry. I have plenty of room in my suite." She grabbed onto Ash's hand and pulled him through the revolving door. He wanted to stop and take in everything the hotel had to offer, but for some reason, Misty was suddenly in a big hurry.

She pressed the up button on the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently.

"C'mon you stupid thing!" Ash and Pikachu glanced and her in confusion, then shrugged. Finally, they heard a "ding" and the elevator doors slid open. Misty was about to rush inside when three familiar faces emerged.

Misty groaned when she recognized her sisters, Daisy, Violet, and Lily, also known as the Cerulean Sisters, all chatting happily. Just the people she _didn't _want to run in to.

"Like oh my gosh!" Daisy exclaimer. "It's Ash! We haven't seen you in, like, forever!" The beautiful sisters giggled.

"Sis, like where are you going in such a hurry with him?" Violet asked.

"Not up to your room I hope," Lily added. Misty blushed furiously.

"It's not like that! He just washed up on the beach here and needed a place to stay!" she said quickly. Then she sighed, noticing the elevator doors had already closed. She would have to endure more intolerable moments with her sisters.

"Well you two have fun. Oh and we have a show tomorrow. You should like totally come and see it," Daisy said. Misty shrugged as she pressed the elevator button again. Ash just stood there awkwardly.

"You're no fun Misty. I don't think Ash finds that very attractive!" Before Misty could reply, the elevator opened again. She dragged Ash inside and said a hasty goodbye to her sisters.

"She's in such a hurry to be alone with him," Violet said.

"Ah, young love."

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Misty sighed as the elevator doors slid shut.

"You're lucky you're an only child," she said to Ash.

"Aw, c'mon Mist. It can't be that bad," he said in reply.

"Oh you have no idea." She shook her head and let out another sigh. They then heard a "ding", signaling that the elevator had reached the 14th floor.

The redhead led Ash out of the elevator and to the left down the hall. Ash noted all the blue objects in the hallway including the plush carpet and decorative seashell wall moldings. Misty stopped abruptly causing Ash to run into her.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Misty told him to forget about it as she put the keycard into the lock.

"Here we are," she said, throwing open the door to room 1423. Before either of them could enter, Ash's Pikachu ran in and curled up on the couch. Ash smiled at his little yellow Pokemon.

"As you can see, this is the living room. The couch Pikachu is on folds out to a bed. Or there's a spare one in the bedroom."\

Ash glanced at the comfortable looking blue couch, the end table and a hutch that contained a rather large TV. After seeing the living room, they headed into the kitchen.

It was equipped with your normal kitchen supplies- a refrigerator, microwave, and a stovetop and oven. Misty had already stocked the cabinets with food. She had to drag Ash from the fridge in order to show him the bedroom.

There were two queen-size beds, and in front of them, another hutch and TV. Small tables sat to the sides of each bed, containing information about the hotel. Ash looked around in awe, then noticed Misty was peering into another small room connected to the bedroom.

"Whatcha' lookin' at?" Ash asked her. Misty quickly turned around and shut the door with a huge blush on her face.

"Oh, just a bathroom. But there's another one that I didn't show you." The truth was, the main bathroom was a massive mess leftover from Misty's morning routine.

"Oh yeah!" Ash suddenly said, apparently remembering something, "Why are you staying here anyway?"

"Well you probably heard my sisters' mention their show. They were wanted to perform here and gladly accepted."

"Wait, so who's attending to the Gym while the four of you are gone?"

"We have a Gym apprentice now, Nami. Actually, she's not really ready to manage on her own, so we kind of had to temporary close it down."

"Kinda inconvient for Trainers" Ash commented.

"It's been pretty slow lately," Misty replied. "Hopefully it will all be okay." Ash nodded, then yawned.

"I think I need some sleep. After eating of course." He smiled and Misty laughed.

_Typical Ash._

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Ash awoke the next morning and glanced at Misty, who was lying in the bed next to him. He tossed the royal blue comforter off of him and swung his legs off the side of the bed. Rays of sunlight were just beginning to creep in through the window, gently illuminating Misty's sleeping face.

Something stirred inside Ash and he tried to push away the romantic thoughts he was having about her. He didn't feel that way, did he? He shook his head and walked into the lavish bathroom.

It wasn't long before Ash was ready and Misty was waking up.

"Good morning," Ash said, nodding in her direction. Misty yawned and rubbed her eyes, mumbling a good morning in return. She looked sleepily at the bedside clock, and upon reading it, she jumped out of bed, fully alert.

"Why didn't you tell me it was so late?!"

"Mist, it's only almost 6:30am."

"Well I still have to get ready and we have a big day ahead of us." Ash shrugged and sat down on the end of his bed.

"I have to get ready," the fiery-haired girl repeated, hoping Ash would take a hint. He merely sat there, waiting. "That means leave!"

"Oh," Ash said, feeling somewhat stupid. He walked into the living room to join Pikachu on the couch. Misty sighed as he closed the door behind him.

_He can be so clueless sometimes,_ she thought, but couldn't help but smile through her slight annoyance.

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Ash, Misty, and Pikachu stood in Sapphire Hotel's grand lobby.

"You said we had a big day today, but you never really said _what_ we were doing," Ash said.

"Well excuse me. But since today's Saturday the beach is holding the weekend Beach Battle Tournament and I thought you would want to enter. Then there's my sister's show and an entire city to explore."

"A battle tournament? Awesome! Let's go!" Ash was about to charge out of the hotel when Misty grabbed the collar of his shirt, nearly strangling him.

"The tournament doesn't start until 10."

"Three hours?! What are we supposed to do until then?" Misty rolled her eyes.

"Like I just said, there's a whole city to explore!" With that, Misty grabbed Ash's wrist and dragged him out the hotel.

"Wow," she said, looking up at the sky and squinting. "Not a cloud in sight. We got lucky today." Ash shrugged. He didn't really care, as long as it didn't rain during his battles.

They wandered through the streets, past the other people who were out for early morning shopping. They passed shops selling virtually everything. After all, a tourist-drawing place like Sapphire Island needed plenty of variety in merchandise to please everyone.

It wasn't long before Ash's stomach started growling. He chuckled and blushed.

"I didn't eat breakfast ya know."

"Well neither did I. C'mon, I know of a small square nearby with some cool cafes." Ash nodded, eager to eat as always.

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Ash drained the rest of his orange juice while Pikachu finished off the crumbs of his croissant. He looked up at the large clock in the center of the square, growing impatient.

"It's 9:30 Misty. We gotta get going."

"Hold your horses Ash," Misty replied, chewing slowly. He sighed.

"You are aware that the competition is on the other side of the island right?" Misty wiped her mouth with a napkin before replying.

"Relax, I know a shortcut back." She stood up and brushed the crumbs off her clothes. Ash jumped up and followed Misty down a deserted alley.

Unfortunately, her shortcut wasn't so short.

"I thought if you took a left here…" she muttered, turning into _another_ street blocked off by a fence.

"Some short cut," Ash mumbled.

"Well you were the one so eager to get to the beach!" They were about to back track out of the dead end street when two menacing Houndours blocked the path.

"Uh oh," Ash said. "I think we accidentally crossed into their territory." The angry Pokemon took a stop forward and Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder, the red sacs on its cheeks crackling with electricity. The Houndour were not intimidated as they growled deeper, continuing to advance.

"Quick!" Misty whispered. "Over the fence!" The two Trainers headed towards the fence. Misty boosted herself onto the fence while Ash blushed as he helped her from below. Pikachu managed to paralyze one of the Houndour as Misty made it over, Ash close behind.

"Come on Pikachu!" Ash yelled when he made it over the chain-link fence. The electric mouse sprinted toward the fence and jumped over it wit the help of a trashcan.

With Pikachu safely on his shoulder, Ash and Misty ran out of the alley, leaving the two frustrated Houndour behind.

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They made it to the beach just in time.

"Any more entries for the Beach Battle Tournament? Last call for entries!" the MC, Todd, called out over the beach.

"Wait!" Ash yelled, running to the crowd. "I want to enter!"

"Me too!" Misty shouted after him.

"It looks like we have two last minute entries!" Ash and Misty registered and learned the rules of the competition. It would be a normal single-battle tournament, with the finalists battling for a small trophy and cash prize. There weren't that many Trainers entered – only 6 others besides Ash and Misty.

"The preliminary battle will go on simultaneously to make this tournament go by quickly and intensely. The pairings are as followed: Erik versus Alexander! Ash versus Ryder! Misty versus Cam! And Marlin versus Frankie!"

The Trainers found and faced their opponents on the battlefield, and on Todd's signal, the battles began.

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Ash's opponent Ryder was a tall, slim boy around Ash's age with brown haired spiked straight up. He reached for a Pokeball on his belt and sent out a Noctowl. Ash smiled, remembering his own special-colored Noctowl back at Oak's Lab. But he put reminiscing behind him as Pikachu leapt forward.

Ash knew the battle would soon be over with a few well-placed Electric-type attacks…

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Meanwhile Misty was up against Cam, an athletic-looking boy with shaggy blond hair covering his bright blue eyes. He used an apparently well-raised Sandslash while Misty stuck with her Staryu. Like Ash, she had a clear type advantage, but Sandslash's Dig attack took her by surprise…

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After quick first round battles, the competition was narrowed down to Ash, Misty, Alexander, and Frankie. This time it was Ash versus Alexander and Misty versus Frankie. Alexander was an older boy clad in dark clothes, even on a warm day like this. He swung his black hair out of his eyes and he sent out his Absol to go up against Pikachu.

"Quick Attack Pikachu!" Absol matched Pikachu's as they went head-to-head. Finally, Ash managed to land a hit, which he quickly followed up with an Iron Tail. Alexander retaliated with a Razor Wind.

Both Pokemon clashed, evenly matched, neither of them backing down…

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Frankie, a girl with long, dark hair, a jade green tank top and khaki shorts, released a Heracross to fare with Misty's Staryu. When Heracross seemed to overpower Staryu with a strong Brick Break, Misty commanded her star-shape Pokemon to use Recover, and it bounced back into the battle with Rapid Spin.

She finished Frankie's Heracross off with a Hydro Pump as Pikachu defeated Absol with Thunder. Ash and Misty glanced at each other, knowing it would be them fighting in the finals.

"I won't go easy on you, ya know," Ash said to her, standing poised for battle.

"Same goes here," Misty replied, taking a similar stance to Ash. Todd had healed both of their Pokemon to full health and they were now facing each other with fierce glares. As the battle began, thick, gray clouds that suddenly rolled in covered the sun. Ash grimaced. Hopefully the rain would hold off…

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By the time both Pikachu and Staryu were close to fainting, large drops of water fell from the sky. The audience of the battle began to disperse, seeking shelter from the rain.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled. "Finish this now with a Thunder!"

"Staryu, fight back with Hydro Pump!" The powerful attacks met and the jet of water crackled with electricity. The forces caused an explosion and both Pokemon were caught in the blow. The smoke cleared and the two seemed down for the count.

Todd panicked, apparently not liking the rain at all.

"Looks like it's a tie!" he said in a rush. "The two of you can split the prize amongst yourself, bye!" Todd ran off to hide from the strengthening storm.

"Well that was kind of pointless," Ash said, scratching his head. Misty recalled Staryu and grabbed the small, golden trophy while Pikachu climbed onto Ash's head, under his hat.

"We should find some place to wait out the rain," Misty said. Ash nodded in agreement and ran in the direction of a small grove of trees.

Misty leaned over, trying to catch her breath.

"Ugh, now I'm all soaked," she complained.

"We probably should've expected this. After all, this is the "rainy city"." Misty just sighed and sunk lower to the ground. Pikachu had wandered off, intrigued by the small blue Berries growing on the trees.

Ash stared at Misty, the water dripping from the brim of his hat. He began to have those thoughts again – she looked beautiful with the stray strands of hair plastered to her face…

"Ash?" The boy jumped back, shocked by the Misty's sudden appearance right in his face. Apparently, he had not noticed her approach while in his reverie.

Ash stared at her for another moment, not speaking.

In typical Ash-fashion, he suddenly acted without thinking. Misty had no time to question the boy's strange behavior, as her lips were suddenly crushed by Ash's.

He was slightly rough at first, maybe even awkward and unconfident as their lips melded together. Ash eased up, but suddenly pulled away.

"Misty!" he abruptly exclaiming, noticing her unreadable expression. "I'm really sorry! I don't know what came over me! You've been on my mind so much recently and I've missed you a lot but I wasn't sure why. But now I think I finally understand that I'm in lo--." He was cut off by Misty's hand clamping over his mouth.

Ash panicked, seeing Misty's somewhat irritated expression,

"Quiet, Ash," she said sternly. Then he harsh look disappeared and was replaced with a softer, more caring gaze.

"You have no reason to worry," she said, "because I feel the same way. And I always have." Ash gave a huge sigh of relief from behind Misty's hand. She quickly pulled it away, feeling his warm breath.

"That wasn't as hard as I thought. Easier than most Gym Battles." He laughed in embarrassment. It was then Pikachu emerged from the trees. It noticed the change in atmosphere around the two Trainers and managed to put two and two together. It cheered happily, knowing _something_ had finally happened.

"I think we should head back to the hotel and change," Misty said, looking at their wet clothes.

"But it's still raining."

"Not as hard as before. And we're already soaked anyway." Ash smiled and grabbed Misty's hand, splashing through the puddles all the way back to the hotel, Pikachu not too far behind.

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Misty stood on the shaded balcony of their room while Ash changed into dry clothes. The rain was finally coming to a stop and the sun was emerging from behind the clouds. She gasped as she saw what was forming high in the sky.

"Ash!" she exclaimed. "You gotta see this!"

"What?" he said, pulling a shirt over his head and walking towards the balcony.

"Not here!" Misty said impatiently. "Now hurry up and get ready!" Ash quickly pulled on his socks and shoes, not wanting to anger the girl further.

She led him out of the room, down the hall, and into an elevator. She pressed the 'R' button, for roof.

"Why the roof?" Ash asked, puzzled. Misty shook her head, in a manner that said, "you'll see when we get there".

The shiny elevator door opened and they stepped out onto the roof. The wind whipped their faces, but it was still pleasantly warm.

"Wow," Ash said, gazing at the sky. "That is one amazing rainbow." He stepped closer to Misty, gently taking her hand. She looked up and him and smiled, then enjoyed the sight of the seven-colored wonder above them.

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The rest of the day was spent pleasurably, Ash and Misty cherishing each other's company and the now beautiful weather of Sapphire Island. Now, the couple sat on the beach, the sun just beginning to set. Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed, signaling it was already 6 in the evening.

Misty jumped up from her spot on the warm sand and panicked.

"My sisters' show! It started 30 minutes ago!"

"Relax, we probably only missed the beginning," Ash said, rising to his feet. "Haven't you seen it a million times anyway?"

"Ash, the show is short. Only 45 minutes. And anyway, tonight was the premiere of their new show." Understanding the urgency, Ash rushed off with her, back to Sapphire Hotel.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On the floor right below the roof, a large arena was located with dark blue seats surrounding a large, raised glass pool. Ash and Misty stood beind the very top row, applauding along with the rest of the crowd. The Cerulean Sisters' new show had gone off without a hitch.

"Like thank you everyone!" Daisy shouted, standing on a raised platform above the water with her sisters. Their aquatic Pokemon swam below them.

"We would totally love it if you came to see us again!" Violet said.

"Good night!" Lily concluded.

The audience slowly cleared out as Daisy, Lily, and Violet stood there, waving. Eventually, they got down from the platform to meet the stragglers who were hoping to get an autograph. Ash and Misty headed down the stairs between the seats towards them.

And they were shocked at who they saw trying to capture the attention of the beautiful sisters.

Brock kneeled in front of them, hearts in his eyes, right before a young, green-haired boy pulled him away.

"Brock!" Misty yelled, approaching them.

"And Max and Vivi!" Ash said, following her.

This unexpected reunion was a huge surprise – and relief – for the five of them. Misty was introduced to Vivi and reacquainted with the rest of them.

Brock explained the current situation – they had arrived at Sapphire Island in search of Ash and May when Brock saw a sign advertising the Cerulean Sisters', Having met before (and being compelled by their looks) caused Brock to want to attend the show. And by fate, he was reunited with Ash and Misty.

"Now all we're missing is May," Max said sadly, worried for his sister.

"Don't worry Max. I'm sure she's fine," Ash said.

"After all, there's one more island to check out," Brock added. "Good thing its there today." The other four looked at Brock, clearly confused.

"The last, and most abnormal island in this chain is Mirage Island. Once in a blue moon, it appears before Trainers," Brock explained.

"If the chances are so slim, how do you know its there! And even if it is, May's probably not there!" Tears sprang to Max's eyes, as he feared for the worst.

"Calm down Max. I've checked with an expert on this island. The old woman told me the weather conditions were favorable and that she could see the island today."

"I guess luck is on our side," Vivi said.

"Well if we're gonna rescue May, we should get going before the island disappears," Ash said.

"I want to come too," Misty said, latching onto Ash's arm. Sudden realization came to the others and they understood.

"You're leaving us, Misty?" Daisy asked.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Lily giggled.

"As long as Brock can keep an eye on the two lovebirds!" Ash and Misty blushed, not yet comfortable with their relationship being so out in the open. The shook off the embarrassment and bid farewell to the Cerulean Sisters.

At the beach, Brock, Max, and Vivi loaded onto Brock's borrowed Lapras while Ash, Misty, and Pikachu got on Ash's Gyrados (see Chapter 7 if you don't remember).

"Let's set sail for Mirage Island!" Brock shouted over the sound of the waves. Ash nodded and they all headed in the direction of the setting sun.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**Holy. Crap. Finished. Finally. My fingers, arms, wrists, whatever hurt sooo bad. I suffered for this so be grateful! No I'm just kidding.**

**But I was worried about this chapter being too short. So I added lots of pointless crap and a small bit of fluff. And it's my longest yet! This chapter seems so disconnected from the rest of the story. ::is Contestshipping deprived::**

**Don't worry; the next chapter will be full of it…if I can get around to writing it. School's about to start and so is soccer so I'm gonna be swamped. But I'll find time…**

**Reviews would be amazing! Thanks!**


	11. The Vanishing Island

**This has to be an updating record for me! It didn't take a year for me to get this chapter written up! I had major writer's block for a while though, which is surprising because Contestshipping usually comes easily for me. I think it was because I was trying to make it different than the Mirage Island episode. You see, I originally started this fanfiction so it would somehow lead up to May and Drew stranded together on Mirage Island before the episode ever aired.**

**Anyhoo, I'm sorry if Drew is OOC at any point, because I find it difficult to write his character while he's in a relationship with May.**

**Oh, and thanks everyone who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't know Pokemon, but if I did, May and Drew would've blantly stated their feelings for one another and all would be right with the world.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**The Vanishing Island**

The sound of waves breaking and crashing onto a rocky shore caused May to stir, the girl slowly coming back to consciousness. As she say up slowly, she rubbed the back of her bandana-clad head and looked around.

"Where am I?" May pondered quietly. Out at sea, the water was rough, churning, and mostly shrouded by a dense fog. High cliff faces could be seen to her left, and to the right, was a thickly forested area. And as far as May could tell, she was completely and totally alone.

Overcome with worry, she jumped to her feet, trying to think of a plan.

"Don't panic, May," she said to herself. "Just think of this as one of May's Expeditions."

Before she headed into the forest in search for food and shelter, something appeared in the corner of her eye. May turned quickly, only to see a blur of blue vanish out of sight. She shrugged off her chills and continued into the forest.

As she wandered deeper into the trees, May realized that there was a river that ran straight through the island.

She carefully walked along the high banks, seeing where the river would lead. May noticed a tree perched precariously close to the edge of the river, and on its branches, hung yellow and red colored Berries. She ran to the tree and picked off a Berry, eager for food.

May took one bite of the fruit, savored the flavor for a brief moment, then gagged and puckered her lips. The unexpected and powerful sourness of the Berry startled her. May stumbled backwards, lost her footing, and fell into the waters below.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

May's blue eyes fluttered open, only to be met by a brilliant pair of green ones. Shocked, May bolted upright. Or at least, she attempted to.

Instead, her head collided with another's with an audible _smack. _May cried out in pain and fell back down. Her green-haired companion tumbled backwards, rubbing his sore forehead.

"Try not to knock me out as well with your hard head, will ya?"

May scowled at Drew, but couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. Then she winced, feeling a sharp pain in the back of her head. She gingerly touched the spot with her fingertips.

"What happened?" May said, suddenly dazed. "Where are we? And why are you here?"

"Well obviously," Drew began, "we are in a cave." May glared at him, and he continued, serious this time.

"We're on Mirage Island, off the coast of Pacifidlog Town."

"Mirage Island?"

"You're a Coordinator from Hoenn and you don't even know about Mirage Island? This is the mysterious, vanishing island, eternally surrounded by mist and rough seas. It is famous to Coordinators because it is the only place in all of Hoenn to find the valuable Liechi Berries, which make great Pokeblocks." Drew pointed to a pile of Berries in the corner of the cave.

"Those nasty things?" May exclaimed.

"I take it you were dumb enough to try one."

"Well I was hungry and it was the first food I saw… I tasted it, but then after that, it's just a blur."

"Well while searching for the Liechi Berries, I thought I saw someone lying near the lagoon on the island. Imagine my surprise when I found an unconsciousness May."

The girl turned red, and Drew finished his tale.

"With the help of some friends, I brought you back to his cave."

"Friends?" May questioned.

"Are you well enough to walk?" Drew asked, puzzling May. Still, she nodded and took Drew's hand.

He walked her to the entrance of the cave to give her a view of the island. May's eyes widened. Dozens of Wynaut were outside the cave, going about their business. Some were gathering Liechi Berries while others played around.

May pulled out her PokeDex to learn more about them.

"They're Wynaut," Drew said over the electronic voice of the PokeDex. They're the only Pokemon native to Mirage Island."

"Wynaut, eh? It must have been once of these little guys that I caught a glimpse of earlier."

"When I found you lying unconscious, it was the Wynaut who led me to this cave and gave me more Liechi Berries."

"I guess I owe both you and the Wynaut," May said. A slight, cool breeze blew and ruffled their hair. May shivered and subconsciously moved closer to Drew.

"It's getting dark," he said. "We should probably head back inside for the night."

"Shouldn't we make a fire or something?" May asked.

"There's some firewood inside the cave. And you have Combusken, right?" May nodded.

"Then problem solved."

It wasn't long before a fire was burning and both Coordinators were huddled around it. The moon outside was almost full and the light further illuminated the cave.

May felt a pair of eyes on her, and she looked up to see Drew, firelight dancing on his face, gazing intently at her. She quickly averted her eyes, heat rising in her face.

"Drew," she said softly.

"Yeah May?" he replied, tone equally as quiet.

"Do you remember back at the Lilycove Contest? What happened after I lost, I mean?"

"Hmm. What happened at that Contest again? I seem to be having difficultly remembering…" Drew smirked, until he saw the look the May's face. The girl didn't know whether to attack him in a fit of rage or burst out in tears.

"I'm only kidding, May," Drew said, putting a reassuring arm around her. "Of course I remember. How couldn't I?"

"Drew! Don't you ever do that to me! I was really worried!" May, although glad he hadn't forgotten about her feelings and his had not changed, she couldn't help but be a bit upset at him.

"There's no need to stress," Drew said, hugging her tighter. "We should probably get some sleep now, especially you."

"You're right," she said. "I've had a rough day. But it's had its good points." May smiled up at him and laid her head on his chest. Soon, he was fast asleep, safe in his arms.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

May awoke suddenly the next morning, bones shaking from the cold. Drew, who was unsuccessfully trying to start a fire, noticed this and apologized.

"I didn't have a blanket with me," he said.

"It's okay. I just wish Brock didn't have my sleeping bag…"

"There's no need to worry about that now. It's a brand new day and there's plenty to do."

May nodded, got up, and started preparing for the day. It wasn't too long before May and Drew headed out for a morning stroll around Mirage Island. The two Coordinators greeted the cheerful Wynaut when they emerged from the cave.

"Hey Drew," May said as they began walking. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Hm?"

"How did you get here anyway? I mean, by the way you described it, this island seems nearly impossible to get to."

"I arrived in Pacifidlog Town early, two weeks before the Contest. And there's not much to do in Pacifidlog for two weeks. So, I ended up talking to an old man who lives there, who happened to be a Mirage Island expert… Or fanatic.

"I told him I was a Coordinator and he offered to give me a ride over here. The truth is, Mirage Island is _always_ here, contrary to what people believe. It's just sometimes, there's so much fog that it appears to vanish. Plus, the waters around here are extremely turbulent which is dangerous for sailors."

"Wow. It's amazing how I ended up here when I got separated from my friends… So have you been here long?"

"A few days. He comes back every so often to pick me up, but I choose to stay. I probably won't leave until a few days before the Contest. This is a good place to train or just explore. In fact, I have something to show you." Drew grabbed May's arm and started to run through the trees.

"Where... are… we going?" May managed to say, shielding herself from the tree branches.

"Here," he said, stopping abruptly. They were in a clearing between the trees, where tall grass and wildflowers grew. It was comfortably shaded, but not too chilly.

"I come here to practice or just relax."

May plopped down in the lush grass, sighing contently.

"It's like a plushy, soft bed…"

Drew sat down next to her and they stayed like that, enjoying each other's presence. May actually dozed off. But when she awoke, she was energized and ready to do something.

"Hey Drew! I think we should have a Contest battle. To get prepared, you know?"

"You're on, May. But don't expect me to go easy on you."

They stood a good distance apart, and pulled out their Pokeballs, poised for battle.

"Come on out, Combusken!" The Fire-Fighting Pokemon jumped from its Pokeball, and you could feel the flaming energy it was emitting.

"Go, Masquerain!" The Bug-type fluttered around rapidly, attempting to intimidate May's Combusken.

"Let's start off with a Fire Spin!"

"Counter with Bubble, Masquerain!" The barrage of bubbles was not enough to extinguish the beautiful, yet dangerous flames that surrounded Masquerain.

"Follow up with Peck!" May commanded. Combusken dove through the flames to land a solid hit on Masquerain. But Drew's well-trained Pokemon was nowhere near down.

Just as Drew was about to launch an attack, the two Coordinators heard the loud noise of a helicopter approaching. The wind became so strong as the helicopter closed in, that the tall grass whipped around them and Masquerain had difficultly remaining airborne. Then the helicopter stopped, hovering right above the clearing.

A rope ladder was thrown out of the side of the copter and a man, clad in all black, descended it. He jumped down onto the ground and the helicopter took off, most likely looking for a place to land.

The man turned and May and Drew realized he was just an older teenager with a black mask tied around his eyes. His evil grin unnerved May, and he took a few steps forward.

"I don't like the looks of this guy," muttered May, inching closer to Drew.

"Lemme guess," the boy in black said, "you guys are Pokemon Coordinators, busy training for the upcoming Pacifidlog Contest?"

May nodded but Drew did not move a muscle. He only continued to glare at the unwelcome newcomer.

"I guess Lady Luck is on my side today." He smirked, and started reaching towards his belt.

"Well since you have a basic idea of who we are, shouldn't you introduce yourself?" Drew stepped away from May, challenging the boy.

"Oh! How rude of me to forget an introduction! Most _decent_ Coordinators already know of me, and that's a good thing too. But unfortunately for you, you're going to have to learn the hard way."

In one, swift motion, the black-clad stranger whipped out a Pokeball and released a menacing looking Aridos. Before May and Drew could react, spider webs were shot at them and their Pokemon, and they were tightly bound to the trees behind them.

"I am simply known as the Ribbon Thief," the boy said, walking closer to his prisoners. And from the harsh nickname I've been given, I'm sure you too are smart enough to figure out what I do."

"There's no way you're getting your thieving hands on our hard-earned Ribbons!" May shouted, struggling against the webs Aridos had created.

"Oh, a feisty one," the Ribbon Thief said, smiling unpleasantly and displaying his gleaming teeth. He stood right in front of May, examining her. Then he lifted her chin up to meet his gaze.

"And cute too. I'm sorry to tell you this sweetheart, but I'm only one Ribbon away from the Grand Festival. But in exchange for your Ribbon, I'll give you something nice." The Ribbon Thief glanced at Drew, who was still glaring.

"I'm sure your little boyfriend won't mind if I steal a kiss from you as well." The Ribbon Thief closed in on May, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Get your hands off of her!" Drew yelled. The Ribbon Thief was startled and backed away from May for a moment.

"There's no need to shout," he said. "I'm right next to you." His smirk reappeared. "Now where were we?"

May screamed loudly, nearly deafening the Ribbon Thief. Then, out of nowhere, the Wynaut appeared and launched themselves at him.

"What the -! Get these stupid things off of me!" Aridos attempted to come to its master's aid, but it too was attacked by Wynaut. While some distracted the Ribbon Thief, the other Wynaut broke the restraints that held May, Drew, and their Pokemon to the trees.

"Just a minor setback," the Ribbon Thief said after clearing away most of the Wynaut. "If you aren't going to play nice, then neither am I."

He pulled out another Pokeball containing a Zangoose. The red and white Pokemon growled and showed-off its razor sharp claws.

"I'll take care of it!" May said, calling Combusken forward.

"Sky Uppercut!" Combusken ran towards Zangoose, preparing release a powerful attack.

"Zangoose, Crush Claw!" Zangoose met Combusken's Sky Uppercut attack with Crush Claw, which harmed both Pokemon.

"Use Fire Spin, Combusken!" May shouted after it recovered.

"Counter it with Flamethrower!" May was thrown off by the Ribbon Thief's command as both flaming attacks collided. The resulting explosion knocked May off her feet and caused Combusken to faint. Both Trainer and Pokemon lay unmoving, side-by-side.

Seeing this, the anger in Drew's body rose.

"Masquerain, return! Absol, come on out! Take care of this creep!"

"How cute. Avenging your girlfriend's loss. Good luck with that."

Zangoose and Absol charged at one another, head on. The fired attacks relentlessly, neither side giving up.

"Razor Wind, Absol!" Zangoose, too exhausted to dodge, fainted.

"No matter," the Ribbon Thief said. He recalled Zangoose and sent out a Pidgeot. But instead of attacking Absol, like Drew expected, it flew towards May's body. Skillfully, the large bird snatched the yellow pouch from around May's waist and presented it to the Ribbon Thief.

He opened the Ribbon Case that was inside and gazed at May's four Ribbons.

"Only four? Too bad." He grabbed one of the Ribbons and threw the case at Drew. Before the green-haired Coordinator could stop him, the Ribbon Thief jumped on the back of the Pidgeot.

"Good luck entering the Grand Festival now!" he yelled, taking off. The familiar smile remained on his face as flew away.

May awoke slowly and looked around, bewildered. Drew ran over to May and handed her the pouch and her Ribbon Case. Above them, a helicopter could be seen leaving the island.

"I'm sorry May," Drew said. "I couldn't stop him before he ran off with one of your Ribbons." Tears sprang to May's eyes and she clung onto Drew, sobbing into his chest. He rubbed his back, trying to comfort her.

"We'll get your Ribbon back, I promise. You can't let this get you down. You still need to win the Pacifidlog Contest."

"But how will we ever find the Ribbon Thief again?" May asked through her tears.

"He seems like the type to continue stealing from others even if he has everything he needs," Drew said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he showed his face at the Pacifidlog Contest. But if he does, he's going to regret it."

May thanked Combusken and put it back into its Pokeball. They helped heal the fallen Wynaut who May owed so much to. After that, May and Drew headed back to cave. It had been a long day and they both needed rest.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next few days on Mirage Island were spent similarly, without the appearance of the Ribbon Thief, of course.

Though May had just lost one of her precious Ribbons, the quality time she got to spend with Drew made up for it. She was glad she finally got to have time alone with him without the stress of Contests. Both Coordinators were happy to have this time – and one another.

It was late at night, and May and Drew were sitting on the cliffs facing out to sea. The moon was large and full and hung low in the sky. The bright glow it emitted lit up their slightly blushing faces.

Drew tilted May's head up to meet his eyes and he planted a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled, and leaned on his shoulder, drifting off to sleep.

Roses were no longer needed to express his feelings for her, and their thoughts about each other were as clear as day now.

It was then Drew heard noises down on the beach below them. Two large Pokemon approached the show and five people hopped off their backs. Upon closer inspection, Drew realized it was a Lapras and a Gyrados.

Familiar voices floated up to Drew's ears.

"May!" Drew said quickly.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice sounding groggy.

"Look down at the beach!" May gasped at whom she saw and ran down the other side of the cliff, calling out her friend's names.

"Max! Ash! Brock!"

"Is that May?" Ash said.

"And Drew too!" Max added.

May ran up and hugged her little brother as well as happily greeted the rest of her party.

"Misty and Vivi too?" she said. The two girls acknowledged May, smiling. "I guess I've missed a lot being stranded on this island."

"With Drew, I see," Max said, smirking. May blushed.

"It's kind of a long story…" May started to say.

"We have plenty of time for long stories on our way to Pacifidlog Town tomorrow," Brock said. "For now, we should get some sleep."

"Agreed!" Ash said. "I'm exhausted!"

"You've been sleeping all day on Gyrados!" Misty said. Ash shot her a look and everyone laughed.

Sleeping bags were spread around the sand, far enough away from the waves. Soon, everyone fell into a peaceful sleep, their dreams filled with happy thoughts.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" May asked Drew. She had joined Ash and Misty on the back of Gyrados. Drew was standing on the shore of Mirage Island.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Drew replied. "The old man said he would be back with his boat sometime today. Stop worrying, I'll see you in Pacifidlog in time for the Contest." He smiled, and May returned the gesture.

Gyrados and Lapras set sail for Pacifidlog, their passengers enjoying the beautiful weather. May decided to hold off on informing everyone about her stolen Ribbon, not wanting to dampen the cheerful mood.

Instead, they shared tales of adventure (and romance) with one another, having a few laughs as good friends.

May felt the happiness swell up inside of her. With this positive attitude, she was sure she could win the Pacifidlog Ribbon as well as regain the one unfairly taken from her.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Have you noticed the action that I've been adding in the past few chapters? Apparently, I'm having difficulty with writing only fluff. I'm not sure how I could fill a chapter with only romance.**

**And hah! The Ribbon Thief isn't aware that May's only 10. He's a creep who thinks he's incredibly cool.**

**Anyway, reviews would be awesome, as soon, this fic will be coming to a close. I'm thinking about 2 or 3 more chapters…**


	12. The Contest Competition

**You readers and reviewers better be grateful I like you. I decided to split the Pacifidlog Contest into two chapters, just so I could update faster. I just think I should apologize ahead of time for the slight lack of Contestshipping fluff, as this **_**is**_** a Contest-centric chapter. There are other appealing points to this chapter though, in my opinion anyway.**

**Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine.**

**Enough of that now, let's get on with the story!**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**The Contest Competition (Pacifidlog Contest, Part I)**

May stepped foot on the island of Pacifidlog Town with a smile on her face. She knew she would be facing some tough competition, but chose not to panic. After all, a great Coordinator must have confidence.

"Come on guys," May said, "let's go to the Pokemon Center to get more information about the Contest."

May, along with Ash, Brock, and Max, as well as Misty and Vivi, walked along the wobbly, wooden planks roped together to create the walkways between the town's floating islands. Upon arriving to the Pokemon Center in the middle of town, Ash and May got their Pokemon healed and asked about the Contest.

"Excuse me Nurse Joy," May said, "but could you direct us to the Contest Hall?"

"Of course!" Nurse Joy replied, smiling warmly and causing Brock's heart to melt.

"Lovely Nurse Joy, just as kind and beautiful as ever!"

"Can it, lover boy," Max and Misty said at the same time, and proceeded to drag him away. Nurse Joy looked at Brock strangely, then continued to give directions.

"All you have to do is take a left once you leave the Center. Just follow the path and you'll be there in no time. You can't miss it!" They thanked her, and walked to the exit of the Pokemon Center.

"Man, look at all these Trainers," Max commented.

"They're probably all Coordinators preparing for the upcoming Contest," Brock said, having gotten over his "Nurse Joy fit".

"And a lot of them have cute Water-types!" Misty exclaimed, admiring all the Pokemon. She was already in love with this water-surrounded town.

May led her friends in the direction Nurse Joy told them, and soon, the Contest Hall appeared before their eyes. It wasn't as grandiose as other Contest Halls in Hoenn, but given the limited space in Pacifidlog Town, it was to be expected.

They entered the Contest Hall, only to be greeted by even more Coordinators and their Pokemon.

"Looks like some stiff competition," Ash said. But May was barely listening, as her sight was fixed on a green-haired Coordinator leaving the registration counter.

"Told you I would make it," Drew said, approaching them and flipping his hair. "And, from the looks of it, I'm not the only one who did." He glanced behind his shoulder, where the former Phantom Coordinator, Timmy, could be seen. He came running up to May as soon as he spotted her.

"May! Good to see you!"

"You too," May replied.

"Drew mentioned to me what happened to your Ribbon," he then said. "I'm really sorry." At this point, Max cut into the conversation.

"Wait sis, what happened?"

_Oops, _May thought, _I guess I forgot to tell them earlier…_

"Well…" May paused, the sadness of the situation getting to her. "When Drew and I were on Mirage Island," she continued quietly, "we were attacked by a boy who calls himself the Ribbon Thief. And as his name implies…" She trailed off at this point.

"He stole one of your Ribbons?!" Vivi exclaimed. May nodded slowly.

"That's terrible!" Misty said.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Max asked.

"Yeah, we could've reported this to Officer Jenny!" Brock added. Both Misty and Max shot him a look.

"Brock's right though," Ash said, "We should go find her now." May shook her head.

"No. If he knows he's wanted, he might lay low. I just know he's here somewhere, probably with his guard down. I want him to reveal himself first."

"And then we can strike!" Timmy said.

"We'll all help in any way possible," Ash told her.

"Yeah, and I'll help too!" someone interjected. May turned around to see the last person she usually wants to run in to. It was Sid again, from LaRousse City.

"Not you again…" May muttered.

"I heard your story May and I promise I will do anything for you!" Sid said loudly.

"Never mind that," May said, hoping he would forget about it and not do anything potentially embarrassing. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Entering the Contest, of course!" May's jaw dropped and Drew couldn't hide his audible snort.

"_You…_entering _Contests?_" he said. Sid got up in Drew's face and examined him closely.

"You're that hot-shot Coordinator from LaRousse City, aren't you? I remember you from before… Well anyway, check this out May!" He whipped out a Ribbon Case to reveal… one little Ribbon.

"Impressive, am I right? I won it a while back, hoping to run into you May…"

"You know, there's no way you can enter the Grand Festival even if you do win this Contest?" Timmy asked.

"I don't really care about that. 'Cuz if I win, I'll give my Ribbon to May!"

"I'm capable of winning a Ribbon on my own, thank you," she replied.

"But don't forget," Timmy said, "that _I'm_ your competition. There's no way I'm backing down!"

"First though, you still have to register," Max reminded his sister.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

"While you do that, I think I want to explore the town," Misty said, "C'mon Ash." The black-haired boy was dragged away from the group, his Pikachu following behind them.

"I think we should go too," Vivi said to Max. He nodded, and began to leave.

"And I think I'll go find Officer Jenny!" Brock exclaimed. Max, upon hearing this, quickly spun around, shooting daggers from his eyes.

"I mean… Go find a PokeMart!" Brock said rapidly, shrinking away.

May bid her friends goodbye, and went to go register for the Contest, unaware of the ever-watchful eye of a dark-haired boy in the corner on the room…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

"It is going to be difficult to find a place to train here," May said to Drew.

"There's not much place for anything at all," Drew commented. "It's too bad really. That there's no place to be alone, I mean."

"A-alone?" May stuttered. Drew let out a laugh.

"Man, the look on your face was priceless!" he said through the laughs.

"Drew…" May fumed through gritted teeth. He took the girl's hand, calming her down, and she blushed. It was just the two of them now that Timmy and Sid both wandered off, probably to practice. But May wouldn't be surprised if Sid was lurking just around the corner.

Finally, the came upon an abandon shack near the edge of the town, facing the sea. There was a bench right outside the building, and Drew beckoned May to sit down.

"Do you have a plan for tomorrow's Contest?" he asked her. "You know, you have to win this one in order to enter the Grand Festival. That is, if we find the Ribbon Thief."

"I know, I know," May said, "I was thinking I would appeal with Skitty, and since the battle rounds are double battles, I would use Beautifly and Combusken."

"Those two seem to work well together," Drew replied. Then May scooted closer to him, as a cool sea breeze had started to blow.

"Thanks Drew," she said quietly.

"For what?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"For always giving me advice and helping me out. Though you can get to be a real pain sometimes, (Drew laughed at this), you were always there, helping me to grow as a Coordinator."

"You've helped me too," he said, "As a rival, you've made me push myself to become stronger… And maybe a bit nicer. But it's still fun to tease you." May fumed at this, but still felt grateful for Drew's compliments. The green-haired Coordinator glanced at the darkening sky.

"You should probably head back to the Pokemon Center," he said.

"Right! Aw man, I forgot I was supposed to be meeting my friends for dinner!" Drew couldn't help but laugh as she sped off. That was typical May, and it was what he loved about her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

The day of the Contest had arrived rapidly for May. She had woke up rather nervous, but still excited. This was the day. _Her _day. She got ready in a hurry, but still made sure she looked Contest presentable, and met her friends in the dining room of the Pokemon Center for some pre-Contest breakfast.

They were later joined by Drew, Timmy, and Sid, creating a rather crowded table. May finished her food, and started straight ahead, running her Contest plan through her mind yet again. Once she was confident with Skitty's appeal, May realized she had been staring intently at a boy at a table near them. She blushed and glanced down quickly, but there was something about him…

When May had to courage to look at him again, she found dark, cold eyes gazing back at her. Very familiar looking eyes… Max poked her on the shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie.

"C'mon May," he said," We're all leaving for the Contest Hall now."

"Oh, okay…" May replied, still slightly dazed. Drew, concerned, glanced over to where May had been staring. He took a look at the now-empty table and shrugged.

They left the Pokemon Center and headed to the Contest Hall on the other side of the island.

"Are you in Contest mood yet?" Ash asked May on their way.

"You gotta be pumped if ya wanna win it," Max said. May nodded, her spirits suddenly uplifting. She could do this! She just needed to get into the right mindset.

When they reached the Contest Hall, Ash and the others who were not participating in the Contest wished May good luck and found a seat in the audience. May, Timmy, and Sid headed back into the waiting room of the Contest Hall.

May stood between Sid and Timmy, watching Vivian appear on stage to introduce the judges.

"This is the final official Contest in the Hoenn region," she said, "and after that, it's on to the Grand Festival for our winner! So good luck to everyone and let's get this Pacifidlog Contest going!"

Cheers and applauds erupted from the audience.

"First up in our appeal round is Entry 1, Damian!" Vivian announced.

May watched the boy Damian walked out on stage, somewhat bothered. It was the same staring boy from breakfast this morning.

"Go Pidgeot," he said, voice almost void of emotion. May's eyes widened she was struck with a sudden feeling of fear and anger. She didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to scream and jump up and down and the other part wanted to run out on stage and tackle the boy.

It was all because Damian was the Ribbon Thief.

The more May looked at him, the more obvious it became. Those cold eyes, messy dark hair, and a tone of voice with only the slightest hint of smugness. She barely watched his appeal, too absorbed in the information she just discovered.

_I wonder if Drew noticed too…_

When Damian and Pidgeot finished appeal, gaining praise from the judges and the onlookers, Drew stood up abruptly and left his seat without a word. Ash tried to question him, but Drew had already disappeared back stage.

Drew came up behind May, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her away from Sid and Timmy.

"I know," she hissed to him.

"I want to get Officer Jenny," Drew replied.

"That May seem like a good idea, but I want to do this my way. I want to take him down in the Contest." Drew nodded as Sid suddenly appeared.

"So whatcha talkin' about?" he asked.

May shook her head, signaling he should forget about it.

"But where's Timmy?" she then asked.

"Oh, him? He's out there appealing."

May immediately directed her attention to the big screen, where Timmy and a Banette were making their appeal.

"Whoa, when did he get that?" May wondered.

Timmy's new Banette was now controlling blue flames with a Psychic attack, creating beautiful flaming patterns. Then Banette fired a Shadow Ball and broke the flames up, causing them to shower down.

"A beautiful performance from Entry 5, Timmy!" Vivian announced. The judges rewarded him with high marks, close to perfect.

Many other Coordinators appealed, but none impressed the judges as much as Timmy. That was, until Sid was called onto the stage.

"Wish me luck!" he said, bounding out stage and giving the crowd a large smile.

"Well he sure knows how to excite an audience," May comment, hearing a roar of cheers.

"Yeah, I'll give him that," Drew replied.

"Do your stuff Blastoise!" Sid's big-shelled turtle Pokemon exploded from its Pokeball with a cry.

"Hydro Pump!" Blastoise launched a powerful jet of water at the ground, the force propelling Blastoise into the air. Then it moved into a Rapid Spin, skillfully spinning in to air on top of the water.

"Another Hydro Pump!" This time, the water shot from the hole in Blastoise's shell, as well as the cannons on its back. Water was cascading from the spinning Pokemon like a fountain.

"Finish with Ice Beam!" Sid commanded. Crystalline beams of ice were fired from all directions, freezing the water. Blastoise pulled out of the Rapid Spin attack, and landed with as much grace as possible for a Pokemon its size. It posed, surrounded by frozen waterfalls of ice.

Sid and Blastoise bowed, and were greeted with support from the onlookers and good scores from the judges. He was only two or three points below Timmy.

"I did good right?" Sid said to May as he re-entered the waiting room. May nodded. Honestly, she really was impressed. Sid was the last person she would expect to enter a Contest (besides Ash) and actually be good at it.

Finally, after a few more appeals, it was May's turn. Drew wished her luck by handing her a single red rose to add to her collection, and she stepped out on stage.

"Skitty, take the stage!" May exclaimed with confidence.

"Nyah!" Skitty mewed cutely, popping out of its Pokeball. The crowded cheered loudly, with the loudest coming from May's friends.

In her hands, May held three small balls. She threw them out to Skitty, who began to juggle them with its tail. After juggling, Skitty hit each of the balls high into the air with Double Slap.

"Freeze them with Blizzard!" May commanded. Before the balls fell back to earth, Skitty fired a powerful Blizzard attack, stopping them in midair.

"Now, Assist!"

Drew winced upon hearing the announcement of this unpredictable move. May herself did not know what the outcome of this attack would be, but whatever happened, her and Skitty would work with it.

This time, Assist turned into Munchlax's Focus Punch. Skitty shattered the ice balls with powerful punches from its tail. It then landed on the ground gracefully, with sparkling ice crystals floating down around it, awing the audience and judges.

"A creative and unexpected performance from May!" Vivian announced. May received pretty good scores from the judges, which she hoped would pass her through to the next round.

Sid and Timmy both complimented her appeal as she took a seat next to Drew to watch the end of the final performance. The appeal finished, earning only mediocre marks from the judges, and the Coordinator walked into the waiting room, looking disappointed.

Vivian reappeared on the TV screen, and May stood up and moved closer.

"Well that concludes the Pacifidlog Contest Appeal Rounds! Now it's time to announce the four Coordinators who will move on to on next round!"

The camera panned up to a black screen, where four faces were about to appear, one by one.

"Our finalists are… Timmy! Sid! May! And Damian! Congratulations!

May gasped. The Ribbon Thief had made it. And no matter what, he _had_ to go down in this round. May took a cautious glance in his direction, where he standing, arms crossed, looking satisfied. Then she returned her gaze to the TV screen, where the image of Vivian had reappeared.

"And these are the match-ups for the Double Battle Round!"

The Coordinators pictures were shuffled on a tournament tree. The images stopped rotating, leaving Sid against Damian and May against Timmy. May turned to Sid with urgency in her voice.

"You _have_ to beat this guy," she said.

"Of course!" Sid replied, giving May a smile and a thumbs up.

Sid and Damian left the waiting room to stand face-to-face on opposite ends on the stage. May could practically feel the determination and energy radiating from Sid, while Damian appeared calm and collected. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. May turned to see Timmy.

"It's me and you next battle," he said, "and I don't plan to lose this time!"

"Well neither do I!" May replied, her energy coming back. She walked back to Drew, who had been abnormally quiet most of the time.

"Do you think Sid can do it?" she asked him.

"For once, I'm actually rooting for him."

May's attention was redirected back to the viewing screen where the battle was getting underway. Things were heating up in this Pacifidlog Contest, and May felt her hope riding with an unlikely candidate.

Like Drew, May hoped, for once, that Sid could pull through.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO **

**Like, ah! What's gonna happen?! Only I know! Muhaha.**

**Anyway, some of the appeals may seem physically impossible, or not make sense, and I'm not even sure if May had a Munchlax that knows Focus Punch by the time she got to Pacifidlog. My memory of that portion of the anime is extremely foggy.**

**Please leave reviews and any constructive criticism is welcomed! **


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